In Ashes
by SilverApples
Summary: The Kurosawa family has been attacked by mysterious giants and need extra protection. They appeal to the Head Captain for help but with all that is going on with Aizen's betrayal, sends two Lieutenants to please the family. Senshi Daichi and Rangiku Matsumoto are sent to investigate the area for signs of hollow activity but they find something totally different.
1. Chapter 1

**Don't own Bleach. I know some of you were expecting the third installment in the Utsumi Kaito series but this character popped up and I was watching Shingeki no Kyojin. This story stubbornly stayed in my brain as I tried and struggled to write the Bount Arc. Well this is what happened. Hope you enjoy it. Let me know in the reviews if you like it and if you did, I'll finish it. I can assure you that I have started a plan for the third Utsumi Kaito story. However it is now without a title, if you have any ideas let me know and I'll pick one out. Anyhow, enough of this. The story begins... Now.**

* * *

It was the beginning of summer in the Soul Society the Kurosawa family were hosting a small gathering among the lesser Noble families in the Soul Society. Even though word had spread through the Soul Society that there was trouble among the Shinigami, the Kurosawa family couldn't let that ruin the mood for tonight's party.

Akira Kurosawa, a tall, muscular elderly man, with piercing blue eyes, silver hair and a thick silver mustache, strutted through the grand hall of his Manor making sure everything is in order for the shindig they are putting on tonight. The Manor was a large building in the middle of an expansive, luscious green field surrounded by a forest. It was isolated a quiet, just the way Akira liked it. He lived there with his family; his wife, Suzume; his twin daughter's Miyako and Kimiko; and his son, Hikaru. The family was among the lesser noble clans but he was a proud noble, proud of his family and his family's status in the Soul Society.

As Akira meandered around his Manor, he found his wife sat near the open fire-place in one of the living rooms wearing her formal wear already dressed up for their party later. She had ebony hair with silver strands starting to make an appearance, a youthful face despite her age, warm brown eyes and pale complexion. Suzume Kurosawa stood and looked up to her husband with a small smile gracing her features, "Ah, there you are." She said happily, "The guest should be arriving shortly and you need to get ready."

He huffed out a sigh but smiled at his wife, "I still have plenty of time for that, Suzume." he argued.

As Akira was about to sit down, Suzume swatted him away, "No, I know how long it takes for you to get ready for these things." She admonished, "If you start now, you might make it down in time before the guests leave.," Suzume said with a smirk.

Walking away muttering to himself, "Damn woman, why does she have to be right?" Akira mumbled.

* * *

He took almost and hour getting ready, his hair wouldn't sit right and he wouldn't hear the end of it from some of the other heads of families if his receding hairline looked any worse. As he made his way down to Grand Hall, his guests were all mingling, his wife was playing the perfect host. Akira caught her eye and she arched an eyebrow to him. He just shook his head at her but his mustache twitched as he smiled anyway.,

The sight of his wife dressed to the nines, brought him back to when they met and how they progressed through the obstacles that Nobility has to offer. Akira weaved his way through the crowds as the guests greeted him and thanked him for the invites, he approached his wife and in his gravelly voice asked, "Would you honor me with a dance, Lady Kurasawa?"

Suzume smiled at the sound of her husband's voice, "Of course, Lord Kurosawa."

He gently took her hand in his and twirled her around and pulled her to him. Together, they swayed with the music that echoed through the hall with perfect clarity. It was as if they had just met and nothing else around them existed. They were just two people in love.

The ground shook beneath them. There was a short pause as the crowed looked around startled, Akira was about to say something but the roof of the Manor was torn of. He saw the large fingers as they plied the roof from the building with ease, "Guards! To arms!" He yelled above the sound of the crumbling building.

Akira's grip on his wife's hand never wavered as he dragged her through the panicked crowd, "Suzume, get the children out of her! I'll get some of the guards to escort you." He didn't give her a chance to argue as he pushed her towards the stairs.

Bodies were crushed by debris and others by feet. Akira raced through what remained of his Manor trying to find any Guards that were alive and in a condition to protect his family. He made past the Grand Hall to the Living Area and found his Guard Captain and a few new recruits relatively unscathed, "Guard Captain, I need you to send word to the Seireitei about this, I feel it's something that they would be interested in." The Guard Captain nodded and left, "You two, I'm sorry I never got to learn your names. Come with me!" He ordered. They left and room caved in behind them.

Akira and the two Guards made it outside and watched as their Manor was nothing more than a few piles of rubble, with tears in her eyes and her Husband's hand in hers. Suzume and her family as well as the two Guard recruits, watched as the giant, with a smile on his face, destroyed their home. Akira just hoped that the Shinigami will be able to help.

* * *

As the Kurosawa family strode through the darkened forest, Akira listened to muffled sobs of his family as the moved further and further away from their family home. The memories that the Manor held for all of them were many in number, first steps, first words even Akira and Suzume's first kiss. It was a treasure trove of family heirlooms and trinkets. The sentimental things that Akira couldn't get back, those were the things he would miss the most, they weren't the prettiest things to look at but they were handed down through the Kurosawa family for generations.

"There wasn't anything you could have done." His wife's voice tore through the silence.

Akira turned to face her as the guards, one ahead and one behind, were far enough away not to hear, "I know." he told her, "I want someone to blame but I can hardly blame the Guards after seeing that monster, I can't do that. I'm just so angry that this happened."

"I know, all those people died." Suzume said quietly, "They died because of me, I wanted to throw that party and it got our friends killed."

It was unlike his wife to cry, he can count on one of his hands the amount of times that he had seen her cry since they were married all those years ago, "Suzume, it wasn't your fault." He told her firmly, leaving no room for argument, "I don't want to hear you say that again. It was those monsters, what ever they are. _They _attacked our home, _they _killed our friends. It was _them."_ He finished with whisper.

"Okay." Suzume agreed quietly, "Do you think the Shinigami will help?" she asked hoping their children wouldn't hear. Suzume kept an eye on her three children as they walk a few steps ahead of them.

That was the question, would the Shinigami help them. Akira knew his family wasn't a major name in the Soul Society but it still held some sway in some circles, however, if what he had heard was true, then the Shinigami would have their hands full as it was let alone with their troubles.


	2. Chapter 2

**Don't own Bleach. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, this is the last chapter I have written. Let me know if you want me to continue or not in reviews or PMs, whatever suits you.**

Summer was his favorite time of year, however this year there seemed to be storm clouds darkening the blue skies he had come to expect from this time of year. After Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen were found out and escaped, everyone's mood seemed to darken. His Captain's illness had flared up again, meaning he had a lot less free time this summer than he usually would. Especially after Sui Feng had injured Kyone. Daichi hated to admit but, her and Sentaro actually helped out a lot more than people would think.

Daichi was a tall man, with bright amber eyes and shaggy brown hair. He wore an orange kimono over his Shihakusho. His Zanpakuto was tied to his waist with a yellow sash, it was a regular katana with an oblong guard with a dark green hilt. Daichi Senshi was Lieutenant of Squad 13. Before Kaien's death, Daichi would do anything he could to avoid the responsibilities of his rank, pull pranks earning him a reputation among the Shinigami that he wasn't competent enough to be a Lieutenant and would often be the subject of jokes during Lieutenants meeting.

He sat by the stream in the Squad 13 courtyard, watching as the Koi fish swam by. Allowing a moments rest from his duties as his Captain was in a Captain's meeting. Thankfully, Captain Ukitake hadn't been suffering with his illness recently and Daichi had been able to focus on training himself and his Squad. He had taken to training his Squad after Kaien had died. Daichi knew that Kaien had taken a liking to Rukia Kuchiki, so he made himself available when Rukia wanted to train. It was still fresh with her, Kaien's death, as it was with him, Kaien was his best friend, they were in the Academy together from the beginning. They wouldn't have graduated at the same time had Daichi not procrastinated as much as he did and actually attended his demonstration exams.

Daichi was exhausted, the Squad seemed almost needy today. Someone needed training, others needed reassurance that the Captain would be okay. He treated his Squad with respect, like his Captain had taught him. Out of that respect, Daichi told them the truth. That things were in turmoil at the moment but will be back to normal as soon as it can. He wasn't sure they bought it, but Daichi felt he owed them some peace of mind after everything that had happened recently.

Picking up his tea-cup, Daichi saw, out of the corner of his eye, a flowing pink kimono. He stood up and greeted the man, "Captain Kyoraku, what can I do for you today? I take it you haven't pissed off your Lieutenant again and need a place to hide out for a while?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

Kyoraku put on his most dramatic of sighs, "That's insulting to think I'd run from a beautiful woman such as my Nanao." The Captain responded before growing a little serious, "I'm actually here to speak to Jushiro." The two of them were familiar as Captain Kyoraku often came round to visit Ukitake. Daichi admired the two friends and was slightly jealous. Every time they were together, Daichi would wonder if that could have been Kaien and him one day.

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Daichi looked to the floor, "The Captain is ill again. Is there anything I can do instead?"He asked hoping to make the Captain's recovery a little less stressful.

Smiling at the Lieutenant, Kyoraku shook his head, "I'm afraid it's Captain's only, Daichi." Kyoraku told him, "I'll just go and visit him at his home." The Captain turned on his heel and left the Courtyard without another word.

Watching as the Captain left, Daichi was curious about what Kyoraku knows. Daichi kept watching until Kyoraku disappeared from sight. _It must be Aizen _he told himself. He couldn't believe he had everyone fooled so easily. It seems like a bad dream, three Captains betrayed the Soul Society and fled to Hueco Mundo. It left its mark on the Seireitei. The weeks have passed but everyone seemed to still feel the effects of the betrayal.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the footsteps behind him, it was a sickly Ukitake with Kyoraku. Daichi frowned at his Captain, "Come on Captain, you should be in bed resting.," he said lightly, "I have everything under control round here." Daichi promised.

Trying a smile, Ukitake coughed, "So I see." he said quietly before his cough took a hold of him."I wanted to be the one to tell you that you are being ordered on a mission. The Head Captain can tell you the details."

Daichi nodded, "Okay Captain." He agreed before turning to Captain Kyoraku, "Get him back home before he coughs up a lung." He joked. It always helped him cope with stress to joke about things whether it was appropriate or not.

Giving a soft laugh, Ukitake coughed again, "I suppose we should leave Shunsui. Be careful, Daichi." he said as the two Captain's began to leave.

"Oh and Captain?" Daichi called after them. Ukitake and Kyoraku turned to face him, "How is Rukia doing? That brother of hers wouldn't tell me anything."

It always brought a smile to his face at how similar Daichi and Kaien were. They both cared about their Squad's well-being and how each member was getting on. Even going so far as to cut into their personal time should one of them approach them, "She's doing better each day. She'll be up and about any day now." Ukitake told him as he and Kyoraku walked back to his house so he could rest.

_That's good, when's she's back at fighting stregnth I'll train her as Kaien wanted. _He promised himself before he headed off to go and see the Head Captain at his office.

On his way to the Head Captain's office he spotted Sui Feng. He would be lying if he said he didn't have crush on the stern Captain. Although, Daichi knew it was a one way thing for him. The way Sui Feng was with people, left no room for doubt, she was not interested in that sort of thing, not with him or anyone. There was just something about her for Daichi, she was an enigma and he wanted to know about her but resigned himself to being that guy that was a joke.

* * *

In the Squad 10 barracks, Rangiku Matsumoto, her head on her desk and a stack of paperwork next to her was wishing for it all to disappear, but no matter how hard she tried the paper work mountain only continued to grow. She groaned as she lifted her head and began working again, "Why is there always so much paperwork?" She asked herself as she pulled out a pen and began filling out the endless sheets of paper.

After a few minutes, she felt her Captain's Reiatsu enter the barracks and she sped up her writing, hoping to get it all done before he sees the large stack of paperwork that had increased in the time he was gone. Unfortunately for her, Captain Hitsugaya was observant and efficient. She cast her ice blue eyes up and met his glare, "Uh, I can explain. It's just that with everything that's going on with Aizen and Gin, I was a little distracted. I'll get it all done, I swear."

Her Captain sighed, "It doesn't matter now." He said simply, "The Head Captain wants to see you now."

Rangiku tilted her head in confusion, usually her Captain would order her to finish the paperwork before leaving, however, knowing that it was Head Captain's orders, he probably couldn't really say anything about it, "Of course Captain. I'll get it done when I get back then." Rangiku assured her Captain.

Hitsugaya shrugged, "Don't bother. I'll have it done by the time you get back. You're being called on for a mission."

_A mission? Now? After Aizen and Gin?_ Her thoughts went to her friend and the last images she had of him as he made his escape to Hueco Mundo. Her anger came back in full force but buried it for the sake of her Captain, "Okay Captain. I'll see you when I get back."

After bidding her Captain farewell, she made sure she had her Zanpakuto and shunpoed towards the Head Captain's office. Her curiosity kept nagging at her, wondering what the mission and who she was going with. The timing seemed suspect to her, it was too close to Aizen's betrayal not to have anything to do with her. On the other hand, would be so stupid to attack now, especially with everyone on high alert. As she approached the building where Head Captain Yamamoto's office is, she spots Daichi Senshi stood outside. _Oh great, now I have to put up with this guy and his antics_ she thought grudgingly to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Don't own Bleach.**

They enter Head Captain Yamamoto's office together behind the Squad 1 Lieutenant, a tall man with white hair and a thin black mustache. Chojiro Sasakibe was much taller than Daichi and Rangiku as they walked in his shadow through the office approaching the Head Captain's desk. Stepping aside, Chojiro introduced the two, "Squad 10 Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto and Squad 13 Lieutenant, Daichi Senshi." Chojiro walked behind Yamamoto.

The Head Captain was older than Daichi and Rangiku put together and more. It showed in his outward appearance but everyone in the Seireitei knew of the overwhelming power that Head Captain Yamamoto had beneath that beard of his. "We have received word that a noble family was attacked by giants." He began, "You two are being sent to investigate, report and neutralize the threat. Protect the family at all costs." he ordered. Yamamoto gave them the location of the attack and where to head to catch up with the family in their second home.

_Well that was unexpected_ Daichi pondered. He expected it to be Aizen or something related, but protecting a noble family wasn't something that crossed his mind. Daichi didn't like the noble families, they were all so false. Nothing anyone sees from them is real, there's always a secondary agenda. However, it was his duty as a Shinigami to protect the Soul Society and those who live in the Soul Society. "Of course Head Captain, we'll leave right away." Daichi said with a grin.

He saw Rangiku nod her head in agreement and they left. It was silent and uncomfortable for them both. Outside of Lieutenant's meetings the two of them rarely have any communication outside of work. They didn't really know each other and it didn't seem like that would change any time soon as neither of them appeared able to break the ice..

That was until Rangiku decided it would be up to her to get them talking, "Okay, this silence is really killing me." She complained, "There's something attacking the Soul Society, talk to me?" she demanded.

Shrugging casually as they walk through the bustling and winding streets of the Seireitei, Daichi thought for a moment before responding, "I know as much as you do, Princess. I've never heard of Giants in the Soul Society before."

"Me either" Rangiku told him, "I mean it sounds ridiculous, I mean Giants are something from fairy tales."

Daichi smiled, "The only thing giant about a noble clan is their egos." He joked, "This is really bad timing if this is some hoax or power play." He mumbled.

Nodding her head, Rangiku wasn't sure whether she should have heard that but she couldn't help but agree. The Seireitei was in disarray and struggling to regain its feet in the wake of not only Aizen's betrayal but the Ryoka invasion. Shinigami have seen the Seireitei invaded and attacked and now, on top of all that, Giants were attacking the Soul Society. "I agree, but come on, do you really think that this would be something like that?" She asked before continuing, "Besides think of it this way, we get to spend some time in a Noble Manor while we investigate." her eyes light up at the thought of living in a grand Manor like in the magazines.

They stood at the South gate of the Seireitei leading to the Rukongai, both of them knew it would be a long journey through the Rukongai. The moved in unison through each district. The further south they got, the more people resented their presence, the worse the insults got. Some of the things that were said made Daichi's skin crawl. He stood just a little closer to Rangiku protectively, if they needed to defend themselves.

_Why is he standing so close? _she wondered. Rangiku heard all the talk about Daichi, he wasn't exactly worthy of being a Lieutenant according to all the other Lieutenants. Her skin crawled as she felt saw the lecherous smirks on the men's faces as she walked by trying to ignore them. _Maybe that was why he moved so close? Thinking I need protecting from creeps like that. That's sweet, unnecessary, but sweet _Rangiku mused. "You know, I _can _take care of myself. I don't need you to protect me." Rangiku said moving away.

A lopsided grin made its way on his face, "Of that I have no doubt." Daichi said, "But I thought I'd try to be a gentlemen."

She just ignored him and kept moving through the last district. Rangiku was ahead of Daichi by a few meters. _God he's so slow, we're on a mission and this is how he acts? I guess the rumors were true. _Leaving the Rukongai behind her, she entered the dense forest bordering the Rukongai. It was a dark forest even during the day time, the leaves and foliage were so thick that sunlight couldn't penetrate it. Rangiku could barely see a foot in front of her. She had stumbled twice already and could hear Daichi snickering as he followed her footsteps, avoiding the tree roots that she had tripped up on.

A red light illuminated the area around them and she turned to find Daichi using Shakkahou as a light. It annoyed her that she didn't think of that but she was grateful he did, if she tripped over one more thing, Rangiku would snap. Taking a calming breath, Rangiku smiled gratefully at Daichi, "Thanks, if I tripped over one more thing I would..."

Rangiku was interrupted by the loud crashes of trees falling down. The ground beneath them began to shake. Daichi and Rangiku braced themselves as the ground kept shaking with increasing violent. There was an odd Reiatsu, powerful, but unlike anything they have ever felt. It wasn't Hollow or Shinigami. It came through the trees with an odd run. It was at least 15 meters high. It had beady grey eyes with a large mouth forming a huge grin.

Looking up at the giant as it stopped just in front of him, naked, with its head tilted to the side with grin on its face, Daichi shuddered, _it's so creepy when it stares at you like that. What the hell is it? Is this what attacked that family? _His mind raced as he drew his Zanpakuto. "Come on now, do we really have to do this?" He asked the giant. After receiving a growl in response, Daichi shunpoed out of sighed and reappeared when he slashed at the giant's arm.

Rangiku watched as the giant stood and swatted Daichi off him as if he were a mere insect. Drawing her Zanpakuto, she charged in to aid Daichi. They worked as a team, cutting methodically on the giant's joints, shoulders, elbows, wrists all the way down to its toes. They couldn't penetrate the thing's skin. Nothing seemed to affect it.

Breathing heavily at the Giant's foot, Daichi spotted Rangiku as she launched another assault on the giant. _This is pointless. It's skin is too thick to cut. _"Rangiku!" Daichi called out, "Get out of there!" He yelled over the sound of the fight.

He met her at the top of the thickest tree they could find. Both of them stare down at the giant as it bashed it's head against the trunk. Daichi was curious about what that thing was and how to beat it. So far he had discovered that it wasn't intelligent, it was just strong, incredibly so. Their Zanpakuto's couldn't penetrate its skin. _We can't let it get to the Rukongai. _He told himself. Turning his gaze to Rangiku who was breathing heavily, "We need to keep it away from the Rukongai." He told her._  
_

"I know that!" she snapped, "How do you propose we do that? We can't even cut it." Rangiku told him heatedly.

He just shrugged off attitude, it was the heat of the battle after all. "Kido, we use kido. I need you to distract it for a moment while I get into position."

It sounded like as much of a plan as they could get for now, it wasn't brilliant but she'd take it. Rangiku nodded, "Okay, as long as your sure you can handle it." She told him, "There's no need to get all macho about this." He just gave her a small smile in response before he shunpoed away.

Daichi watched on as Rangiku kept the giant's attention focused on her. He shunpoed behind the giant and began the incantation. Daichi's time in the Kido Corp came in handy, he was proficient in all Kido. Rangiku came into view again, keeping the giant's eyes trained on her as she once again went in for attack. This time wasn't as successful, the giant swatted her away. "Bakudo #63 Sajo Sabaku."

A yellow energy materialized into a thick glowing rope. The rope, like charmed snake, wrapped itself around the giant's upper body. Daichi was told that physical strength wouldn't be able to break out of this Kido, he just prayed that proved true. Not satisfied that the giant won't follow them Daichi pointed the palm of his hand toward the head of the giant, "Hado #33, Sokatsui."


	4. Chapter 4

**I doubt I'll be able to update again this weekend so I hope this will do. I hope you are all enjoying it and will stick with it to the end. I have a rough plan for the story, however if there are any scenes you wish to see let me know. Thanks for reading. **

* * *

The giant went falling backwards, crushing trees on his way down. Daichi watched as his kido struck the giant in the face and knocked it backwards. The ground shook as the giant hit the floor, Daichi ran over to check on Rangiku. Kneeling down beside her, he saw her eyes flutter open, Daichi beamed at her, "There she is. Are you okay?" He asked, offering her a hand to help her up.

Her head hurt and she was bleeding from a wound across her back. Rangiku got to her feet accepting the hand he gave her, "What a gentlemen you are." She teased as she got up. "Is it dead?" A serious tone had overtaken the teasing in her voice.

Craning his neck to look over at he giant as it struggled against the Bakudo, "No." He stated simply, before brightening, "Anyway, we better get going. Are you okay to walk"? Daichi asked.

Nodding her head, he golden locks bobbed along with her head, "I'm fine, I'll patch myself when we get there."

With one last look at the giant as they walked slowly by, Daichi and Rangiku flinched when it let out a deafening roar. They felt the echo surround them before the ground started shaking, Rangiku stared wide-eyed at Daichi, "Run!" she yelled. Both of them shifted gear and fled the area through the tree tops. The strain on Rangiku's back made her slower than she usually was as Daichi began to pull away. It gave her time with her thoughts on the giant, _What the hell was that? It wasn't a Hollow, I know that much. It couldn't be Aizen, he's been gone for too long for it to be him, then what brought on their attack? How do we kill them? Zanpakuto didn't do anything. Kido will only do so much, what have I gotten into here?_

Light could be seen through the trees as they near a clearing, the roaring died down some time ago and left a tense silence in its wake. Neither of them knew what to say about what they met, it was monstrous, fortunately, as a team they managed to bring the giant off of its feet and managed to escape. That was just one though. Both Rangiku and Daichi were sure that there would be more, it was unlikely that there would only be one of those things running around in the Soul Society, especially after what they felt when the ground shook beneath them after the monster roared.

A heavy exhale escaped both of their lips as they exited the forest. It led them to an expansive green field. No trees in sight, just flat ground. Daichi looked around for any signs that the giant had been through there, just in front of them were foot prints that looked larger than the feet than that of the giant they had faced. _Oh god, that it huge! What the hell are these things and what are they planning, if anything _Daichi wondered. Casting a furtive glance at Rangiku who hadn't seen the footprint, Daichi told himself that he'll tell her later about it, "We're nearly there, I hope they have food, I'm starved." He whined playfully.

Just as he had said that, Rangiku's stomach growled loudly. She laughed before she winced at the pain in her back, "Oh god, I hope so. It feels like years since I've eaten anything. They better have Sake because after that, I need something to drink."

They crossed the field hastily. Over a hill, they came to find the Manor that now housed the Kurosawa family. It was large, regal looking building with a large wall surrounding it with a large black gate with two a line of guards in front of it. Daichi and Rangiku strode up to them. There were seven of them, each armed with a weapon, similar to a Zanpakuto. They were all tall, muscular with straight black hair that reached their shoulders. They each wore a modified Shihakusho similar to their own just with a high white-collar. Daichi cast his amber eyes around the guards, _that isn't nearly enough to deal with the giant we faced let alone the thing that left that foot print _Daichi thought.

"Stop right there." The guard in the center called out as Daichi and Rangiku approached. The grip on his sword tightened the closer the two Shinigami got. Once Rangiku and Daichi came face to face with all the guards, they were recognized as Shinigami and the guards relaxed a little, "You must be the Shinigami that Lord Kurosawa had sent for. I must say I didn't expect them to be so beautiful." He let his eyes linger as they carefully inspect Rangiku's curvaceous body.

Daichi watched on as the man leered at Rangiku. It even made him feel uncomfortable, so he did what he could to move the situation along, "Why, thank you sir, but I'm not interested. Could you take us to the Head of the family?" he asked with a pleasant smile.

Holding back a snicker at the guard's face, Rangiku bit the inside of her cheek. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all _she thought to herself as they were led through the gate and towards the Lord's Manor, well second Manor.

They enter through the large wooden front doors to a regal foyer with a staircase straight ahead with corridors leading left and right and a family portrait along with other artworks decorating the walls throughout. Daichi lets out a whistle, "Noble life never changes." he says to no one in particular.

Rangiku arches and eyebrow, "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked,

Giving a casual half shrug and a smile in response, "I mean, they get attacked by a monster one night and the next day they already have a brand new Manor already to live in? Sometimes I wonder if they even know about the struggles of the Rukongai. You know?" Daichi asked.

Growing up in the Rukongai, Rangiku knew of the hardships she had to endure. She was lucky that she had Gin for the amount of time she did even if he kept leaving without telling her where. Some people didn't eve have that, "I know, it is what it is." she sighed, "Besides it isn't our place to question the Noble clans."

"No it is not." The gravelly voice of Akira Kurosawa echoed through the foyer as he and his wife climbed down the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5

**Don't own Bleach**

Daichi turned his head so fast he risked whiplash. Finding Akira Kurosawa standing at the bottom of the stairs with a protective hand on the small of his wife's back. If the scowl on the Lord's face, he was pissed and wasn't afraid to let anyone know it. Daichi gulped, knowing what it was like to suffer the wrath of a Nobleman. "Oh, you must be Lord Kurosawa." Daichi said as he peered up at the mountain of a man who loomed above him ominously.

The gruff old man looked down at the smaller with a deep frown and a piercing gaze, "Yes I am and in my home, I would like for my wife and I to be treated with some respect." his gravelly voice tore through the group standing in the foyer. Akira looked between the two Shinigami, the frown never leaving his face. His eyes settled on Daichi, "I trust you can keep you opinions to yourself, boy?" Akira asked.

_Wow, this guy's intense. _Daichi nodded and smiled, "Of course. My opinions don't count for much anyway." He joked, "Besides, we're here to investigate what happened to your... Manor." Daichi informed the older man.

Nodding brusquely, Akira looked toward his wife. The sadness on her face radiated around the foyer, "Yes, well, follow us to the study and we'll explain everything." Akira turned on his heel and, along with his wife, went on ahead down a corridor to their study.

Daichi and Rangiku looked at each other and shrugged before following the Kuurosawas. The corridor was wider than the streets in the Rukongai, artwork adorned the otherwise plain walls. It was the third door on the right that they saw Akira stood outside with his arms folded across his chest, tapping his foot impatiently. Daichi leaned over and whispered, "Jeez, what's with this guy? Has't he heard that patience is a virtue?"

They enter the room. It was a large dining area, with a long dark table with five chairs around it. Off to the side was another set of cushioned chairs. The room was cold, Daichi looked around for any source of heat but found nothing. He hated being cold. As Lord and Lady Kurosawa sat down, Daichi and Rangiku sat opposite them on the cushioned chairs. Rangiku looked between everyone before asking, "Are you ready to tell us what happened?"

Akira explained what happened, how they were just having a party with all their friends and then the monster attacked them and destroyed their home. "You see, that's why we need the Shinigami to deal with this. It's not only affected my family, it's affected everyone of our friend's families as well."

He failed to hold back a scoff, Daichi looked around between the three people in his company, "In my experience, noble families such as yourselves, rarely care about other nobles." he told Akira without backing down, "A few less noble families in your way, your closer to being one of major noble clans."

Red faced and angry, Akira rose, "How dare you? I loved all of my friends and I'm sick with grief!" He bellowed as Suzume placed a soothing hand on his forearm, "I expect you to do your job and deal with that monster and then be gone." Akira stood up and left.

Suzume watched as her husband left, she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen hims so angry. After Akira had left the room, Suzume turned to Daichi, "I understand that you have your opinions on noble families but you have to understand, my husband didn't want to throw that party. He thought it was in bad taste after what happened. We heard about what happened with your Gotei 13. I persuaded him to throw the party and I think he's shouldering a lot of the blame himself." she stopped and looked at the floor as she let the tears slip from her eyes ad splash to the floor.

A sigh escaped his lips, he felt terrible after that. His experience with noble families was bad but that doesn't mean that all of them are the egotistical, false, hypocrites that he knows and loathes. Daichi bit his tongue as he allowed Rangiku to carry on talking to Suzume.

"So Lady Kurosawa, the... Giant that attacked you what did it look like?" Rangiku asked.

Suzume gave her a sad smile, "Oh you can call me Suzume, dear." Suzume told her, "I don't remember much I'm afraid. Just that it didn't stop smiling. Always smiling."

Casting a glance at Daichi, _what the hell is wrong with you? What is it with you and nobles? _she wondered. It didn't escape her notice that he had a slight attitude towards the guards as they arrived, granted, she found it funny then but now, Rangiku had counted a couple of times where Daichi had made a snide remark about nobility and that last barb was brutal. "We saw something on the road down here. It fit the description you gave, we'll get on with the investigation and get out of your way." She promised as she stood from the chair.

Shaking her head, Suzume smiled at the busty woman, "Nonsense, it's already dark out. We have a room ready for you both. It's just next door, it's not overly large but should suffice for you two."

Daichi and Rangiku nod to the woman as they stand to leave. The two Shinigami leave the room with uttering a word and the sounds of Suzume's sobs resonate out of the room as they head next door. Daichi pulled the door open gently. The room was small, almost box like. There was a small window that let the moonlight illuminate the room. There was one small bed. At a push, it could fit both, a small table at the foot of the bed and an old tarnished wardrobe. "Well this is probably worse on you than it is me." Daichi said grinning at Rangiku.

Knowing what he meant, Rangiku rolled her eyes, "You got that right." Rangiku agreed, "You can take the floor." She said as she plopped down on top of the bed.

He ignored what Rangiku said and got on to the bed as well. Daichi turned and smirked to her as Rangiku's face held a slight frown, "You can't expect me to sleep on the floor. My back couldn't take it." Daichi complained.

Sighing dramatically, Rangiku rolled her eyes. She knew she had a reputation around the Seireitei about being an easy lay, she found herself wondering if Daichi had heard about it and thought he'd get some of her before he missed his chance. The thought made her angry. Rangiku furrowed her brow, "Nope, not a chance. You get the floor." She turned away from him and resting her head down and feigned sleep.

_What was all that about? I was just joking. _Daichi stared at Rangiku's sleeping form. He could tell she wasn't asleep, her shoulders were too tense. Turning his gaze to the floor beside the bed. There was enough room for him plus room to stretch out if he needed to. Taking off his kimono, Daichi laid down and covered himself, resting his head on his arm and got comfortable and closed his eyes waiting for sleep to overtake him. _I've slept on worse things than this._


	6. Chapter 6

**Don't own Bleach. Sorry this took a long time to post. I had a friend who needed me. Anyway, I hope this was worth the wait. Let me know what you think, like it or hate it. **

Waking the next morning, sun warmed the bed as Rangiku slept. Daichi, however, rolled over at his head smacked against the wall. Daichi bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from cursing the wall. Hoping that his mishap didn't wake Rangiku, Daichi cast his amber eyes to her sleeping form. A snort escaped her and she turned away. Daichi held back the laugh that had bubbled its way up. He brushed himself off and walked out of the room, leaving Rangiku to sleep in.

It was the morning after he had insulted the Lord of the manor and head of the family. Daichi knew it would be awkward but told himself he wouldn't apologize for voicing his opinion on them. It wouldn't be the first time he has gotten in trouble with Nobles. It's happened on many occasions. It was the day he got accepted into Squad 13 after his time in the Kido Corps, Daichi thought he'd pull one last prank before getting serious with his Squad. It was meant to be simple but it turned complicated when Byakuya Kuchiki ended covered in feathers from head to toe. It took careful negotiations from Captain Ukitake to keep Daichi from being punished by the Kuchiki Clan.

As Daichi made his way down the hall way to find the Kurosawa family. He moved as quietly as he could and found the family; Akira and Suzume, their two daughters, Miyako and Kimiko as well as their son, Hikaru. They all eyed him warily, no doubt that they had all been told of the Shinigami's presence in the Manor. The children didn't look that old, the girls looked almost identical to their mother, the same eyes and hair. Whereas the boy was an even mix of both, the piercing gaze of his father but his mother's face. Feeling out-of-place, like he always has around nobles, Daichi stopped in his tracks, "Uh, I'm just going to go and wake Rangiku." He excused himself and plodded down the empty corridor.

When he got back to the room, Daichi found Rangiku still sleeping. He rolled his eyes, _And people think I'm bad._ Deciding it was time to get the investigation started, Daichi gently shakes, Rangiku's shoulder.

Instinctively, her hand gripped Daichi's wrist. Rangiku's light blue eyes opened, instantly wide awake. Daichi's face was uncomfortably close to hers. Rangiku furrowed a brow, "What are you doing? Get a good look did you?" Rangiku asked as she dropped Daichi's wrist and got up, running her slender fingers through her hair.

With the slightest shake of his head, Daichi backed away. A grin crept its way on to his face, "I wouldn't dream of it, Princess." Daichi said lightly.

_Trust me, I know who you dream of _Rangiku thought as she remembered hearing Daichi talk in his sleep about a certain Captain, she had no idea why he would dream of her, but who was she to judge. She knew what it was like to love someone who didn't know how you felt. Except with her, the person turned out to be a traitor instead of a cold and distant Captain. Rangiku shrugged and tied her Zanpakuto to her waist, "Let's go, get this over with and hope we don't run into any more of those Giants."

The two Shinigami made their way out of the Manor after Rangiku had made nice with the Nobles. Daichi had stood awkwardly off to the side as they exchanged pleasantries while Hikaru leered lecherously at Rangiku and her chest that was almost falling out of her Shihakusho, it wasn't as if Daichi could blame the guy. But he was anything but subtle about the way his eyes were glued to the Shinigami's large chest.

Sun shining and a light breeze gave the impression that nothing was wrong. The day was perfect a mild temperature out in the son. Daichi and Rangiku headed into the forest where they battled the Giant and tried to pick up a trail of its footprints or the wake of destruction it left in its path. Luckily for them, the giant wasn't exactly careful as it trampled down so many trees it was as if there were a bald patch in the forest. There was a trail of broken trees and large footprints leading back to where they had fought. The two of them hoped that following the footsteps back, they could find out more about where they came from and who was behind everything.

The two Shinigami kept watchful eyes and keen ears on their surroundings the longer they walk down the trail, Daichi and Rangiku grew more anxious, what if there were more of them, they couldn't even deal with one. What if the others are bigger? Of course Daichi knew there were bigger ones out there, he just didn't want to admit it to himself, told himself his eyes were playing tricks on him. Facing the idea of something as monstrous as the thing with that enormous footprint scared Daichi. He didn't scare easily, usually he was calm but the idea of a giant being taller than the one they faced was as frightening as the idea that Aizen had managed to trick everyone the Seireitei for all those years.

As they came to the end of the trail, Daichi and Rangiku spotted a small farm. A large red barn and a smaller cabin next to it. There was also a much larger barn further away than the other two buildings. It appeared to be almost the same height of the large white tower in the Seireitei. Daichi let his amber eyes widen as he looked at the large building past the farm. It was wider than the tower, much wider. It was almost completely square. _How did this escape notice? _he wondered. "You ready?" Daichi asked._  
_

Gripping her Zanpakuto tightly, knuckles whitening, Rangiku nodded, "Yes, are you?" She asked as she walked off ahead of him.

They head in to the large red barn first. It smelled sterile, completely clean, which was unexpected with it being a barn. They split up and headed off to different areas of the barn. Daichi climbed the ladder to the dusty upper level. There was nothing there, just hay and dust. It appeared to be a normal barn except for the smell. Rangiku explored the ground level and found pretty much the same. Regular things you'd find in a barn. Daichi jumped down and landed near Rangiku. He crashed through the floor unceremoniously falling down in to the gaping hole he made.

Rangiku rushed over to the hole and found that it had small, steep steps leading down, almost like a ladder. "Are you okay!?" She yelled down at him and her voice echoed. _I should have known something like this would have happened._ Rangiku told herself.

"I'm fine, but you might want to get down here!" Daichi called out with a grunt. He looked around and it was an enormous lab that put Captain Kurosutchi's to shame. It must have covered a lot of the space of the field. Looking up, the ceiling was so high, he had no idea how far he fell. It was a scary thought, not knowing how far you've fallen. It didn't take too long for Rangiku to join him in the large room. "How far down are we?" He asked.

Not knowing exactly, Rangiku shrugged and gave a vague answer, "Very. What is this place? It reminds of Kurosutchi."

Looking around the room again, Daichi spotted the large set of screens against one wall and a large tube from floor to ceiling. What was further along in the room, Daichi had no idea and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Seeing the giants and this place, he could only draw one conclusion, "I assume it's where the giants were created."


	7. Chapter 7

**Don't own Bleach. I hope you guys are enjoying this. Let me know if you are or not. On another note, I've got chapter 8 started and hopefully I'll post it tomorrow.**

The lab was large, larger than anything he had ever seen. Everything was white, stark white. The ceiling to the floor. The work surface the large screens were on were silver. Daichi and Rangiku made their way to the screens to look at them closely. A few key strokes from Rangiku had opened what was last displayed and it showed the a diagram of the giants along with technical speak that neither of them understood. There was only one person they could take this to and neither of them were very fond of him. Mayuri Kurosutchi, as crazy as he is brilliant.

Sensing a Reiatsu approach, Daichi sighed. Turning around and stepping in between the person and Rangiku, Daichi gave them a sheepish smile, "This is not what it look likes."

The woman was dainty with dark green hair, brown eyes and a pretty face. Her brows knit together in a deep frown, "I think it's exactly what it looks like. Two intruders. Hey brother, how should we deal with them?" she asked.

A voice came from right next to them, "I don't know, perhaps we can see how _he likes _them." A man suddenly appeared a few feet away. He was tall, towering above the green haired woman. He had the same green hair and brown eyes. They looked like they could be twins.

Putting a lopsided grin on his face, Daichi took a step close to Rangiku. "I said it's _not _what it looks like." he joked, "Anyway, we'll just be going now. No, don't trouble yourselves, we'll see ourselves out. Come along, Princess." He said taking her arm and gently dragging her away.

"Uh uh uh." The green haired woman sang, "Not so fast. I do believe you've seen a lot. Too much to be let you go back to the Seireitei." She said drawing a sword. "I created this myself, it's similar to your Zanpakuto but with a slight difference."

Rangiku drew her Zanpakuto from the small of her back. "What are you doing here? Are you responsible for those giants that attacked us?" she asked.

The green haired man smirked arrogantly at her, "Us? No we aren't responsible for what they do." He told them, "Do you really think _we_ can control them?"

The two Shinigami had assumed that someone would be controlling them somehow, but apparently they are off the leash and running wild across the Soul Society. Daichi, who still hasn't drawn his Zanpakuto, shook his head, "Okay then, what are they? I assume you created them."

Shaking her head, the green haired woman took a step closer to the Shinigami, "We merely finished what we started before."

With that, fighting broke out in the lab. The green haired man charged at Daichi and Rangiku attacked the green haired girl. The clash of swords filled the lab as the four began their battles.

Daichi dodged the first attack and drew his Zanpakuto. The dodge was too close as there was a small cut on his cheek. Reaching up and putting two fingers to the wound, he felt the warm, wet blood on his fingers. "That was uncalled for." Daichi mumbled to himself. Turning his amber eyes towards his opponent, "Why go for the face? I was unarmed, you could have easily ran me through."

The green haired man laughed, "Maybe I want to play with you first? What I want to know is why it took you so long to draw your sword?"

He lifted his shoulder nonchalantly, "I didn't see the attack coming, you were too fast for me." Daichi said adjusting his grip around the dark green hilt of his Zanpakuto. "Tell me something, what's your name."

Going in for another attack, the green haired man swung hard at Daichi's right shoulder. His sword made contact with Daichi's. They struggle for a moment before Daichi disengages, "My name is Ayumu Oshiro. That is all you need to know."

Before he could blink Daichi felt the sword of Ayumu approach him. At the last-minute, Daichi got his blade up just in time. It was a little too close for Daichi's liking. Using a technique one of his teachers, Miyamoto Bennosuke, taught him, Daichi span around, knocking Ayumu back a few paces. He fell to the floor and had his blade pointed toward Ayumu with little more than an inch between his opponent and his blade. Slowly, Daichi stood back up and smirked at Ayumu, "Tell me, whose idea was it to set those giants loose on the Soul Society? Yours or hers? I mean I get it if it's hers. She seems the naïve type."

Angry at the Shinigami's mocking, Ayumu bolted at Daichi, "No one speaks about my sister like that." Their swords clashed. Daichi was backing away as the onslaught of Ayumu's attacks continued. He could feel the power behind each swing. It was almost like a Shinigami but slightly different. There was something off about his Reiatsu. "You can't beat me, Shinigami! No matter what trick you think you can pull, no matter what power you have, you won't beat me."

Blocking Ayumu's attacks was beginning to ware on him. Daichi's arms were growing tired. Coming with a way to get a break, Daichi let one hand go from his Zanpakuto, "Had#31 Shakkahou." A red ball of fire flew toward Ayumu and made contact. Smoke surrounded him after the small explosion. Catching his breath, Daichi turned toward Rangiku to check on how she's fairing in her battle. He saw the flashes of green and blonde of the two fighter's hair in the distance. _She's holding her own, that's good._ Daichi told himself. A sigh escaped his lips, "Could you stay down for a little longer.? I'm watching the lovely women fight." Daichi said, a grin emerging on his face as Ayumu's face contorted in anger.

The sword came down in a blur. Thankfully, Daichi managed to shunpo away. He smiled at Ayumu who still looked angry. However his minor victory was short-lived when he heard the words he didn't want to hear, "Growl, Haineko!" The fact that Rangiku had released her Zanpakuto led Daichi to believe that something had put her on the back foot. Although, Daichi didn't feel anything substantial, he could blame that on his battle with Ayumu but he knew he should have been more aware of his partner. That's what Miyamoto had told him once, _no matter what, you are responsible for your partner's life. In battle, your partner is an extension of yourself. _With one of his teacher's voice inside his head, Daichi knew he had to take this battle seriously if he was to help Rangiku.


	8. Chapter 8

**Don't own Bleach. I don't know whether you guys are still enjoying this but I'll continue for another couple of chapters to see if things turn around, if they don't, I'll try to get the next part of the Utsumi story done for you.**

Rangiku backed way from her opponent. Her chest heaved. Keeping up with her speedy opponent as challenging and it was tiring her quickly. She cast a glance to Daichi and saw him getting pummelled by the other man. Worry spread through her, she didn't want to see someone her partner die because she couldn't handle her herself. "Growl, Haineko!"

Her Zanpakuto disappeared and turned to ash, with her hands she directed the ash cloud toward her opponent. Rangiku didn't give her opponent enough time to react. The ash cloud engulfed the green haired woman. "Well, I guess that's that." Rangiku told herself, "It's a shame I liked her style as well."

"Thank you." A voice called out from the ashes, "I made them all myself. You can't have them." The ash cloud returned to Rangiku revealing the green haired woman to be surrounded by a large purple bubble. It had a pulsating glow.

With eyes widening, Rangiku was in shock. Not only had she survived being surrounded by Haineko but also show a technique that she has never seen before. Quickly schooling her features, the calm and collected Lieutenant Matsumoto was back in charge. "So it's shield that protected you from Haineko? In that case, let's see if I can't break it." With her hands, she directed the ash back toward the shield.

A crack began to open down the centre, however the green haired woman's smirk gave no sense of victory to Rangiku. The pulsating quickened. Realizing what was happening, Rangiku called back the ash cloud and tried to get away but the explosion was to big. The blast echoed and everything seemed to all collapse at once. The ceiling, walls it all crashed around her. She could just make out Daichi's voice calling for her.

The heat was the first thing she noticed, the warmth of her own breath, whilst reassuring her she was still alive, was beginning to stifle her. Unable to move, Rangiku knew she was trapped. There were subtle noises of rubble tumbling down. She could see the light, it was a bright white light. A large hand came toward her. Reaching out, she gripped the hand as hard as she could. It forcibly dragged her out of the hole, luckily none of he limbs were pinned under the rubble. Coughing hard as she tried to sit up, she looked around, and found Daichi sat off to the side, his orange kimono was torn down one side. His hair was matted with blood.

"We should be able to get out of here, once we got our energy back. What happened anyway?" Daichi asked.

Rangiku shrugged and regretted it immediately. The pain shot through her shoulder. "I don't know. She surrounded herself in a shield and then it exploded once I attacked it. Whatever technique it was, I've never seen anything like it." Rangiku told him, "Let's get out of here, who knows what's going to happen now that they know we know who they are."

They both stood up and climbed out of the large crater that was left of the barn they had entered. As they ascended, it astonished Daichi just how far below the surface they really were. The area they were climbing through was dark and damp. They couldn't risk using Shunpo as it could destabilize the ground further, they climbed manually. Baby steps, inching closer to the surface. It was suddenly cold. The heat from the basement was gone, replaced by an icy chill from the ground the fresh air from above.

Once they reach solid ground, Daichi and Rangiku looked at the large crater hole in the ground left by the explosion. Both wondering how they made it out of there alive. Also what happened to the other two that were there, did they escape? If so, to where. Before they could get lost in their thoughts a wonder what if, Daichi thought he would try to lighten the mood, "Well, my kimono is ruined. I owe Captain Kyoraku a bottle of Sake."

Letting out a light chuckle, Rangiku turned to him with an arched eyebrow, "Why's that? You bet him you couldn't make the thing look any worse?" She joked. They both began to walk back toward the trail.

Daichi matched Rangiku stride for stride as they walked, "Ha, funny. I'll have you know, I was told this brings out my eyes." He blinked dramatically at her to prove his point, "No, we bet that I couldn't keep it in one piece while in battle. 'It takes a special talent to battle in one of these' he said." He picked at the burnt edges before taking it off.

She laughed, "It's for the best, trust me." Rangiku joked, "Although, it did bring out your eyes." She said before sauntering off with an extra sway to her hips and a smirk on her face.

Quickly, Daichi shook his head and jogged to catch up with her. He wasn't used to compliments from others. It was always a backhanded compliment. Daichi couldn't see anyway that couldn't have meant anything other than what she said.

As soon as he caught up, they walked together in silence, Rangiku analysed what she could have done differently, _I should have thought ahead, the Captain would have done better _Rangiku told herself. It was something she did, her way to improve. Analyse her mistakes, try to learn from them. However, Daichi was something differed. He was much more laid back. Daichi tried not to think about the battle, it wasn't something he liked doing and would try to avoid it if he could. The last thing he wanted to do was think back on a battle.

The sun was beginning to set as approach the Manor, thankfully, the two people from the battle hadn't attacked them again. Or worse the giants. The sight of the manor still standing, allowed Daichi to sigh in relief. The thought of going to patching himself and Rangiku up and then going to bed was making his eyes droop.

Daichi and Rangiku ignore the looks they got from the Kurosawa family as well as the guards they met on the way in. Neither of them in the mood to answer questions. The adrenaline had worn off, the crash was inevitable. Entering their room, Daichi fell face first on to the bed. Rolling her tired eyes, Rangiku couldn't help but remark on the few wounds the man had sustained. Knowing that both of their wounds could wait until the next morning, Rangiku collapsed on the bed.


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't own Bleach.**

The sound of whimpering woke him up. Daichi peeled his eyes open to find what the source of the noise is. Being interrupted from the dreams of his cold Captain was enough to sour even the happiest of people's mood. His eyes searched out the room for the anything that could be the cause of his bad mood. However, when he saw Rangiku's face contorted as she tossed and turned, his bad mood vanished. Luckily for him, he hadn't suffered from nightmares before. The amount of time he actually thought about anything that could cause nightmares was so insignificant that his mind was never filled with 'what ifs' and 'I should haves', nothing tormenting him into restless sleeps.

Daichi didn't know what to do. _You don't wake them, that's dangerous. No, that's sleep walking, you idiot! _His mind was at war with itself trying to think of what to do. In the end, Daichi just said, "Screw it." and strode up to Rangiku and shook her shoulders. She shot up, grabbed his wrist and flipped him over. Rangiku hovered above him with her forearm against his throat. Daichi's eyes widen as he saw the her eyes, wild and frantic. "Ran... giku." Daichi choked out. _She's so strong._

As the mist cleared from her vision, Rangiku began to collect herself and recognize things around the room. The bed she was on, the walls, the man underneath her. Her ice blue eyes widen at the look on Daichi's face. His usual calm amber eyes were wide and she didn't know what was going on. That's when she felt something move on her arm. Looking down, she saw her forearm pressed forcefully on Daichi's throat. She felt his Adam's Apple bob as he swallowed. Slowly, Rangiku lifted her arm from him and shuffled away.

Watching as his Rangiku moved away, he sucked in a deep, desperate breath. He had been in many confrontations in his Shinigami life, but seeing the wild look in Rangiku's eyes was scary. At one point he didn't think she would snap out of it. He sat up and look to Rangiku who held her knees close to her chest. "Hey, it's okay." He told her, "Don't worry about me. Despite what people might think, I'm not weak. Although, it could be said that I was taken down by a girl in her sleep." He joked.

Despite herself, Rangiku smiled at Daichi's self-deprecation. Looking over at him, in the moonlight, Rangiku could see the beginnings of a bruise on his neck. She furrowed her brow, "Does it hurt?" She asked quietly.

Daichi tilted his head, "It'll take a lot more than a mild choking to hurt me, Princess." When he didn't see even the slightest quirk of her lips, Daichi answered sincerely, "No, I've had worse." His amber eyes regarded her for a moment, "Did you want to talk about it?" He asked.

She shook her head, "Not really." Rangiku stated, "I am sorry. For waking you and interrupting your dream of Sui Feng."

Blushing slightly, Daichi smiled wistfully, "It's all it will ever be." he said quietly. Daichi was okay with it, he was, it was just the idea of wanting something but never being able to have it. Plastering on a smile, Daichi looked at her, "I'm sure you don't have that problem."

He was right, she never had that problem except when it mattered. With Gin, she had no idea whether she knew how she felt. Rangiku had already resigned herself to the belief that they would be no more other than friends. After he had followed Aizen, she realized that she never really knew him anyway. After that, it was always easy for her to attract male attention, wanted or unwanted. However, after developing feelings for her Captain, she couldn't get him to notice her. Not in the way she wanted. It was always said the best things in life were worth waiting for and so far she had shown the patience of a saint. "You'd be surprised." She muttered under her breath.

Unsure of whether he was supposed to hear her, but he did. Daichi tried to bite his tongue but he has always had trouble with keeping his mouth shut when he should. But, after what her night already, Daichi stopped himself. They sat in silence, Rangiku on one side and Daichi perched on the corner. It wasn't awkward but it wasn't exactly comfortable. Daichi knew Rangiku was shaken up by her nightmare. He cast a furtive glance her way and noticed her looking at him with a curious look in her eyes. Daichi arched an eyebrow, "I know I'm handsome but staring? Really?" Daichi remarked.

She rolled her eyes, beginning to calm down. Rangiku was thankful that Daichi didn't push her to talk about her nightmare. They've been recurring since Gin had left with Aizen. They were always the same, Gin dragging her to Hueco Mundo and in the end killing her. She couldn't and wouldn't talk about it or Gin. "Tell me about yourself. I can't sleep and you're obviously awake, we may as well get to know each other."

This was not what he wanted to talk about, when she knew about his past, Daichi knew she'd treat him differently. The only people who knew of his past was Captain Ukitake and Kaien. His Captain had to know for obvious reasons and he told Kaien because he was his best friend. The thought of telling someone else, especially Rangiku, a prolific gossip among the women of the Seireitei, he smiled warmly at her and said, "Ladies first."

She knew when someone deflected her questions and it aggravated her as much as sexist men. Rangiku gave him a pointed look, "Let's play a game then." Rangiku told him, "I ask you something and you answer and you do the same for me."

Daichi shrugged, he didn't see the harm in a game like that, it's not as if Rangiku would ask the question he did't want to answer. "Sure, you can go first? Being a lady and all."

With that, the two began to play their game. Rangiku went first, "Favorite color?"

He snorted, Daichi expected her to head straight for the personal questions, "Really?" He asked, she didn't waver, "Orange. What's your favorite color?"

"Teal." She stated simply, avoiding eye contact.

Rangiku looked out if the tiny window and saw the bright light of the moon. A tiny part of her hoped to see some snow fall it would let her know that her Captain was near by, she felt guilty because of her feelings for him. He was so young and she was... who she was. It was a problem she could get over if she knew he felt the same, but could she get over what everyone else thought about her? Ignoring those thoughts, Rangiku continued their game, asking innocent questions and Daichi returned with the same questions. Hobbies, favorite foods, light stuff. After a while, Rangiku was okay to fall asleep again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Don't own Bleach.**

Daichi, Rangiku and the Kurosawa family sat around the large dining table with the fire crackling in the background. Rangiku and Daichi still wore the wounds they sustained from the battle at the underground lab. It was a cold morning for the summer in the Soul Society. The group had sat round the table for breakfast of fruit and cereal. After eating in silence, Daichi brought up the subject of the giants, "I suppose you want to hear about what we found?" He asked.

The gruff voice of Lord Akira Kurosawa was terse and impatient, "Yes, my family and I would like to know if we are safe now."

Rolling his eyes, Daichi looked at Akira Kurosawa and smiled sarcastically, "It's almost as if the rest of the Soul Society doesn't exist to you." Daichi said with a tilted head.

She slammed her eyes shut. Rangiku didn't know what his problem was with the noble family but she knew his mouth was going to get him in to trouble before too long. Before Daichi could continue, she stepped in, "What he means to say is that," she began sending a glare towards Daichi, who just shrugged, "We found something and hopefully you'll be safe for now. One of us will stay here another day or two while the other informs the Head Captain of what we found."

Kurosawa glared at Daichi before turning his gaze to Rangiku, "Needless to say, I would prefer you to stay with us." He told them before turning to Daichi, "If you had a family, Lieutenant, you'd have the same attitude. Noble or not, family will always come first."

_Pfft, family comes first? Tell that to my family,_ He thought. There weren't many things Daichi wished he could change about his life but his family was at the top of the list. The day he left home for the Shin'ō Academy was the best day of his life. Since then, he's had no regrets since that day. His time in the Academy, the Kido Corps, Squad 13, it's all been better than his time with his family. Daichi smiled politely at his host, "Very well, I'll leave right away." He told the group as he rose from the table. "Wow, voice an opinion around Nobles and they exile you. Things never change." he mumbled walking away.

_What did he mean by that?_ Rangiku wondered. Throughout the entire mission, the last few days, he's made several remarks about the Noble families. was it simple jealousy or something else? She knew there had to be something, you can't blindly hate someone or something. There's always a reason behind it, good or bad. But what reason could Daichi have to hate the Noble family or Nobles in general? _I'll ask him before he leaves. _She excuses herself from the breakfast table to find her partner.

_Thank god, I can go home. No more Nobles for me. Nope, never again. _He kept repeating in his mind over and over like a mantra. It was more like a prayer, he kept his contact with Byakuya to a minimum, Rukia was a squad mate and from the Rukongai, a district as far from Nobility as one could get. Luckily for him, Rukia didn't pick up any of her older brother's habits whilst growing up in the Kuchiki Manor. Reverently picking up his tattered orange Kimono from the floor of their bedroom, Daichi looked upon it fondly, remembering the times he's had wearing it, who got it for him and why. Shaking the memories that danced in his mind away, Daichi placed the Kimono on the bed before leaving the room.

As he exited the room, he found himself walking into the ample bosom of Rangiku. He froze, startled. So lost in his thoughts, he didn't sense her nearby. "Sorry, Princess." He apologized, "I'd love to stop and chat but heaven forbid I over stay my welcome any more than I already have." He joked.

She didn't look impressed. With one hand, she dragged Daichi back into the bedroom and pushed him down on the bed. Rangiku stood over him, "What exactly s your problem? They went through something that nightmares are made of, you can hardly blame the man for looking out for his family."

Daichi tilted his head to the side and smiled, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just doing my job as a Shinigami. Protecting the interests of the _Soul Society._" Daichi said confidently.

She stared at him. _What is wrong with you? You insulted this family more times than I change clothes._ When the silence had stretched for long enough, Rangiku decided it would be best to drop the subject, "Fine, go. This will be in my report." She informed him looking away. She thought after last night, getting to know the man, they would build on it from there. Apparently she was wrong, "It's for the best if you go now before you insult them any further and they file an official complaint."

For a brief moment, Daichi's boyish smile faded before he forced it back up. He thought, he'd made a friend in Rangiku. After her nightmare the previous night, Daichi thought they'd built a friendship or at least started to. He wasn't going to hide his opinion just in case he offended someone, that wasn't who he was, "God forbid I offend them." He chuckled, "Anyway, I'm going to head out. The sooner I leave, the sooner I get there right? I'll see you when you get back Rangiku." He said softly._  
_

Daichi walked away with one last look back. He left Rangiku stood by the bedroom door. If he had looked back, he would have seen that she had a furrowed brow as if she was trying to figure him out. Daichi strode through the dining room and waved goodbye to the Kurosawa family minus Suzume. The children gave him a sheepish wave back while the elder Kurosawa ignored him and turned away. It gave him flashbacks of his parents when he left.

He slowed down when he found the hallway leading to the main foyer. There was an uncertain feeling the pit of his stomach. He felt it back when he left the bedroom but it's grown more uneasy the further away he got. The door on his left suddenly opened and a slender arm dragged him into the room and slammed the door shut behind him. He saw it was Suzume who had taken him, "You know, you're not the first woman today to drag me into a bedroom today."

Unamused, Suzume continued to stare Daichi down, he usually warm brown eyes were hard and unnerving. She saw Daichi visible swallow, "What my husband and I saw that night will forever be in our minds. We are aware of what it is capable of and we _do _care about what happens to the Soul Society. We wouldn't have contacted you if we didn't." She ranted. Suzume took a breath before continuing, "Frankly, I'm insulted you think otherwise."

Daichi flinched at the look in her eyes. It reminded him of his mother. Whenever he did something she didn't approve off, "I'm sorry if I offended, that wasn't my intention." He told her, maybe it was the fact that this woman reminded him of his mother or she was just that intimidating.

A tight-lipped smile and a look of recognition in her eyes, "It's been a while since I've seen you, dear." her pearly white teeth began to appear as her smile widened, "My husband may have a memory of a goldfish but I do not. I'd recognize your eyes, they were your mother's."

He held up his hand to stop the older woman, "As nice as it is to reminisce, I really should get going." Daichi told the woman before getting up and leaving the room. He turned back to face Suzume, "Could you not tell Rangiku? No one really knows about that and..." He trailed off.

She nodded, "Of course, dear." Suzume promised, "If you promise me, you'll apologize to my husband the next time you see him _and _go and see your parents soon."


	11. Chapter 11

**Don't own Bleach. Okay, kind of a filler chapter but I figured you guys might want to see some Daichi and Kaien interaction. Tell me what you think.**

The smell of rain was in the air, wet grass and foliage assaulted his senses. It had rained overnight, luckily, he had found a large, dense tree. The top of the tree provided enough shelter for him to wait until the rain stopped. Ever since he was a child, Daichi hated the rain. The light taps of the rain as the droplets hit the leaves or the thunderous downpours that drowned out any other noise. No matter the degree of rain, Daichi hated it.

Morning had arrived as Daichi was woken by the daylight. It had continued to rain through to morning. The rain was an in between of the two. The puddles that had formed at the base of the tree had began to expand. Unfortunately, his kimono was destroyed in the previous battle and he was stuck, in the cool, wet air with a simple Shihakusho.

_I guess I'll have to brave the rain._ Daichi sighed as he hopped down from his branch narrowly avoiding a large puddle., Craning his neck, he looked to see which way he should head The forest was dense and dark, there were a few less trees because of the giants running around the area but the tops still managed to blot out most of the light that lit the outside world. He cast Shakkahou to provide some extra light, helping him see where his feet were going and to avoid puddles and roots. The walk was cumbersome, thick, snake-like roots, large, moss-covered boulders blocking his way.

The rain continued to pour over the trees, running off the dark green leaves and brown branches. Being alone and walking in the rain wasn't something Daichi enjoyed doing. It always brought an easy smile to Kaien's face during the winter in the Soul Society when the weather was more unsettled. Daichi remembered the day that Kaien took advantage of his dislike of rain. The memory itself bought out an amused chuckle.

* * *

_The rain cascaded down like a waterfall. Large puddles were forming in dips in the streets of the Seireitei. Winters in the Seireitei were wet and cold it wasn't unheard of that some streets suffered severe floods in extreme cases. Daichi was looking out of the window of the Squad 13 barracks, Captain Ukitake was ill again and Lieutenant Kaien Shiba was in charge. The thought that his best friend was in charge made Daichi almost want to change Squads. However, he remembered all the good times the two of them had as they grew up and the times in the Academy._

_A member of the Squad approached him, she had short sandy blonde hair, a button nose and thin lips. She looked apprehensive as Daichi turned around with a warm smile on his face, "What can I do for you..." He tapped his chin with his index finger for a moment before looking apologetically at the woman, "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met because I remember all the names of the pretty women around here."_

_The woman smiled slightly, a reddish tint to her cheeks. "Oh, no. We haven't met but I was told to tell you that Lieutenant Kaien is looking for you. He's asked for you to meet him in his quarters."_

_He furrowed his brow, **what are you up to, Kaien?**__Daichi wondered. He nodded at the woman, "Thank you, I'll go and see what our illustrious leader wants." He joked._  


_Daichi tightened his Shihakusho by pulling on his orange sash. He grimaced as he looked outside and the menacingly dark grey sky and the water that seemed to be an unrelenting torrent washing over the entire Soul Society. He opened the door and left the barracks. The rain was cold, it chilled him to the bone. His shaggy, light brown hair clung to his forehead. _

_He was drenched, his Shihakusho was clinging to his body, soaked from head to toe. Daichi arrived at his Lieutenant's quarters. It wasn't a long walk and the slight jog that Daichi made of it shortened it further and the continuous downpour still soaked him through to the bone. _

_Daichi lifted his hand to knock but was beaten to it by Kaien's wife, Miyako as she opened the door before his knuckles could make contact. Her dark hair she usually kept up was let down and flowed effortlessly past her shoulders and her brown eyes a light with happiness. "Ah, Daichi, what are you doing out there? Come in." She moved out of the way to allow him to enter. He had always gotten on with Kaien's wife, it was fortunate because he would hate for things to become awkward between, not only him and Kaien but Kaien and Miyako. "Kaien is in the next room."**  
**_

_Smiling back at Miyako, Daichi entered, "Thank you, although I get the feeling that he and I will be having a few words."_

_The smile fell slightly on Miyako's lips, "This was what he was smirking about all day? I **knew** he was up to something." Miyako shook her head, "Just don't break anything, I know how you boys get."_

_Daichi nodded and moved through the Shiba household. It was neatly decorated which Daichi knew was Miyako's influence. The Kaien he grew up with was as untidy he was. The Shiba clan leader was stood staring out of the window. Daichi saw in the reflection that Kaien and a smug, self-satisfied grin on his face, "I didn't think you'd actually fall for it." Kaien said with a laugh, "A few years ago, you wouldn't have done, getting slow in your old age?" He joked._

_Striding up to Kaien, Daichi grabbed his shoulders and forced Kaien to turn and face him. A smirk grew on his face as Daichi held Kaien in place and vigorously shook his head. His soaked brown hair flung water all over Kaien, clumps of hair slapping him across the face for good measure. It continued for a few minutes, droplets of water ran down Kaien's face as it reddened from being struck by Daichi's wet hair. After he was done, Daichi looked at Kaien, "You know I hate the rain and you know why." Daichi told him seriously, "Although, after seeing the look on your face, I might be starting to like it. Why did you out me here anyway?"_

_Shrugging, Kaien smiled at his friend, "We haven't really seen each other recently and I hate to admit it but I miss you, buddy." Kaien told him, "That and I wanted to thank you for helping out with the Squad while the Captain's been sick."_

_Daichi grinned at his best friend, "Wow, I'm not sure what Miiyako's given you, but I'm sure that the old Kaien wouldn't have thanked me for doing my job and I know he wouldn't tell me he missed me." Daichi poked Kaien on the side of his face, "Are you sure you're real?" Daichi asked._

_With a balled fist Kaien hit Daichi in the stomach, "Real enough for ya?" Kaien asked, "I'm trying to have a serious moment with you and you make a joke?" Kaien said in mock outrage, "You know what, I take it back." Petulance filled Kaien's voice and was made even worse with the pout that had formed on his face. They began a childish game, bickering back and forth._

_Miyako was forced to come and intervene. She entered the room carrying a tray with a tea-pot and three small teacups on it. Her brown eyes looked at the two men as they bickered. They were her boys. Although she was married to Kaien and loved Kaien, she felt like Daichi and Kaien came in a package. It used to be a get much but after a while boundaries were set and things became easier. Now, she wouldn't have it any other way. They may not be blood, but they were brothers. "Behave, children." She scolded. Just like that, the three of them sat down and had light conversation and drank tea. To Miyako, this was normal, her family. Her husband and herself and their best friend and brother. It was perfect._

* * *

That was one of the last times all three of them had sat down and enjoyed each other's company. It would forever be a happy memory. As he came back to the present, the trees began to thin and light breached the thick tree tops. Although more rain managed to attack him, Daichi could see the edge of the Rukongai. _Finally, nearly home._ He thought to himself.


	12. Chapter 12

**Don't own Bleach**

It seemed to be a sign. The rain had let up as he approached the Seireitei gates. Daichi managed to get through the Rukongai without incident. He was greeted at the gate by Jidanbo Ikkanzaka, a large behemoth, muscles the size of the Rukongai, his dark hair pulled back into a long ponytail that trails down his back and long sideburns framing his face. Daichi and Jidanbo have only met on a few occasions but got on quite well. The tall man smiled as he saw Daichi approach, "Lieutenant Senshi, how are you doing today? You look hurt" Jidanbo said as he lifted the gate open for the Squad 13 Lieutenant.

Walking backwards away from the large man, "What can I say? Can't win them all." The smile he gave was forced, he needed to get to Head Captain Yamamoto and inform him about the Giants and the two people Rangiku and himself had encountered.

The walk through the Seireitei was easy, there were fewer patrols, it seemed as if the few days that he was away had calmed the Shinigami out. There was no rushing around, all the patrols were calmer than the ones he had left. It surprised him how much difference a few days could make. Daichi found himself wondering if in a few days, Rangiku would be over the fact that he had gone over board with the Kurosawas. The journey back to the Seireitei made him see that he was wrong with what he said as did Suzume, he told himself that he would apologize to Rangiku and Akira after this crisis had been dealt with.

Blue skies distracted him, _the weather is beautiful today, you wouldn't believe it was the way it was just a day ago. _Daichi closed his eyes and felt the warmth of the sun on his skin and ran his slender fingers through his hair. It was a tangled mess after the rain. Out of nowhere, he bumped into someone. He found himself tumbling down on top of them. _Please don't be Kenpachi. Please don't be Kenpachi _Daichi prayed for small mercies. He knew that the chances of knocking down the great Kenpachi were next to zero but it's better to pray for safety and not need it than to need it and not pray for it.

He cracked an eye open and found himself looking down into dark, slate grey eyes that were narrowed menacingly up at him. The short ebony hair with the braids. He'd recognize her anywhere. Feeling her chest heave up touching his, Daichi amber eyes shot open. "Captain Sui Feng, I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." He said still unmoving, looking down into her stern eyes.

"No you weren't. God, you just as bad as Omaeda." She seethed, Sui Feng made a fist and jabbed him in the stomach, "God, at least you're not as fat as him." She grumbled as Daichi stood up holding his abdomen.

The pain didn't erupt like he thought it would. Daichi looked down at the Captain who was brushing herself off as she grumbled to herself. He could make out a few words, _clumsy, blind, stupid, _it wasn't anything new, Daichi was used to that, but hearing Sui Feng, a person who had a hold on him, saying it. It wasn't something he wanted to hear again. The pain in his stomach just got worse. He plastered on a smile, "I really am sorry about that. Is there a way I can make it up to you? Dinner? A bottle of Sake? Help your Lieutenant lose weight? If you have a suggestion I'm willing to do it." he rambled. _God, what is wrong with you? You can talk to women. Why can't you talk normally to her? Flirt a little. Let her know you're interested. _His amber eyes searched her slate grey eyes for any sign of emotion towards him.

Her firm glare pinned him down. Sui Feng was finished brushing herself down and she tucked a braid behind her shoulder, _the idea of Omaeda losing weight was appealing, _she shook her head and continued her glare, "There is one thing you could do, stay out of my way." she turned on her heel and walked away without a backwards glance and a slight smirk on her face.

Daichi watched her walk away and sighed in defeat. _Well, I knew she wasn't into that sort of thing._ "You idiot, why would you do that? You knew what she's like." He muttered to himself as he walked away still smelling the lingering scent of the tiny Captain of Squad 2.

On his way to Head Captain Yamamoto's office, Daichi l thought back to his time with Rangiku. After a rough start, they managed to start getting along, at least for the mission's sake. He had enjoyed having an easy going friend like Rangiku, she was as laid back as he was most of the time unless they were under threat from one of the giants. Daichi liked to think that he had rescued her with kido but he knew that she could handle herself both in sword play and with kido. They had bonded a bit over the few days they had spent in the Kurosawa manor. The game of questions they had played after she had her nightmare had allowed him a glimpse of the woman underneath the large chest and the façade she puts on for everyone. They had become friends, until he had pushed the boundaries a little too far and insulted the Kurosawa's one time too many and she had enough.

Looking back, he wished he bit his tongue. Daichi could hear Kaien's voice as clear as day in his head, taunting him. _I told you that smart ass mouth of yours would get you into trouble. At least it wasn't someone who's likely to kill you this time. _He missed his best friends at times like these. Daichi would have vented to him in cases like this. Everyone knew that Kaien was the smarter of the two. Even though, in actuality, their intelligence was closer than what most people thought.

The large building cast a long shadow over him as he approached the Head Captain's office building. Chojiro Sasakibe stood to attention outside. Rigid and unmoving as Daichi approached. Daichi saw the moustachioed man as he stood by the door with a stoic face. _Jeez, his face must be made of stone. _Daichi thought as he approached, "Squad 13 Lieutenant Daichi Senshi." He introduced himself, "I have important information for the Head Captain. It's important."

With a gargoyle like stillness, Chojiro stood and stared at Daichi for a moment, "Yes, he is aware and will see you now."

_Okay, this guy is a robot. That's the only way to explain it. Even his voice is emotionless _Daichi mused as he entered the office of the Head Captain. It was large and almost empty. It baffled Daichi why the Head Captain would need such a large office if he wasn't using most of the space. There were stories and rumours that have floated around the Seireitei over the years: the Head Captain's Reiatsu is so large that the extra space is needed to contain it, it allows people to move away from him should the head Captain's Reiatsu get too much. The long walk as painful as Daichi eyed the Head Captain as he sat unmoved like a statue.

"Ah, Lieutenant Daichi. I trust that you have news of the giants?" The Head Captain's old voice carried through the office with an echo.


	13. Chapter 13

**Don't own Bleach**

_Dinner? Who does he think he is? Barge me over and then ask me to dinner or drinks? Imbecile. _Sui Feng ranted internally. She hadn't had much extended contact with the man only in the Captain's meetings when Captain Ukitake was absent due to his illness and she didn't like the man. He was a clown. Everything he said was a joke, he didn't take anything seriously. Running her fingers through her hair as she stormed through her barracks, Sui Feng sat down at her desk and slammed a pile of papers from her desk in front of her and scratched her signature on forms and scribbled out reports.

It was a few hours later when a black cat hopped up on to her desk. The cat tilted its head and peered up at the Captain and spoke in a deep manly voice, "Now now, Sui Feng." The cat began, "What did that paper ever do to you?"

Scowling at the cat, Sui Feng dropped her pen with a thud. The barracks had emptied, Lieutenant Omaeda had run off after seeing the foul mood that his Captain was in and the rest of the Squad followed suit, "Not now, Yoruichi." she groused, "I'm in no mood to play games."

Seeing her old friend troubled, Yoruichi transformed back into her human form. There she stood, in all her naked glory. Yoruichi stood naked. "There's a bit of a draft in here." She said with a smirk as she looked at her body. She disappeared for but a moment before she was back and full clothed in her orange top and black leggings. "What's on your mind. Does it have anything to do with that man who was literally all over you earlier?"

Her slate grey eyes widen as a blush over takes her usually pale complexion, "What? No, I don't know what you're talking about. It has nothing to do with that."

Yoruichi smirks at her friend, "Come on Little Bee." She said smiling, "It's just like that time with Kisuke. Your blush gives you away every time and don't even get me started on that smile that on your face as you walked away from him."

Sui Feng's eyes widen, "N-no, I don't know what you're talking about." She stuttered, "There's no way."

The smirk on Yoruichi's face deepened, "You know, denial isn't a good look on you Little Bee. I'll make you a deal, you speak to him _nicely,_" She said looking pointedly at Sui Feng, "And I'll kick Kisuke as hard as I can for you."

Thinking about Kisuke Urahara flying through the air with a bloody face brought a small smile to hers. Sui Feng's evil smile allowed Yoruichi to smile back. Sui Feng regarded her friend for a moment before responding, "As hard as you can?" She asked. Receiving a nod in return, Sui Feng sighed, "Fine, don't think that I'm going to like it."

Yoruichi smiled, "Oh I don't know, I think you might."

* * *

At the Kurosawa Manor, the bedroom she and Daichi had been staying seemed smaller than it was before. Rangiku began to miss Daichi. His quips had made her laugh most of the time and now here she was, alone. She should blame him, it was his fault. _He _was the one who couldn't keep his mouth shut and his opinions to himself. _He _left without so much as a backward glance. It reminded her so much of how Gin was as they grew up. Leaving to god knows where and not telling her where he was going. It annoyed her then and it infuriates her now. The thought of Gin bought all her feelings back from the moment she watched as he flew up into the air through the portal to Hueco Mundo.

Anger, hurt, betrayal are but three of the things she felt at the time and now she is just numb to it all. After the pain of Gin's betrayal she had wanted to shut herself off from the rest of the world. However her Captain had forced her face her feelings, that was the time she had realized that the feelings she had for him were more than what she had thought. The haunting teal eyes and snow-white hair of her Captain seemed to be everywhere at that moment.

She looked at the Kimono that Daichi had left, it was dirty and torn, there was still blood from the battle on it. Whether it was his or hers or their opponents. She picked it up gently and wondered what was so special about it. It was clearly old but well looked after. Other than the effects of the battle, there wasn't anything wrong with it. It was almost pristine. Rangiku was disturbed from her thoughts by Suzume as she knocked on the door, "Lieutenant Matsumoto? Are you okay?"

Smiling at the older woman, Rangiku nodded lightly as the sun illuminated the room, "I'm fine." Rangiku told her, "I'm just making sure that I have everything before I leave tonight."

The older woman nodded as she allowed her eyes to linger on the Kimono in the Shinigami's hands. She knew it belonged to Daichi but knew it wasn't from his parents. They hadn't seen or heard from him since he left home. Suzume nodded to the Kimono in Rangiku's hands and said, "That's Lieutenant Senshi's isn't it?" She asked.

Rangiku put the Kimono back on the neatly made bed before she turned to face the Lady of the manor, "Yeah, it got ruined in the fight the other day." Rangiku said as she turned back to the Kimono, "There's something about it though, isn't there? I mean it looks hideous but when he was talking about it he got this look on his face."

Suzume shrugged, "I don't know, dear. You'll have a better idea about that than I do. You know him better than me."

Nodding her head, Rangiku tucked it into her sash instead of carrying it, "It's filthy but I'm sure he'd want it back. I've never seen him without it." Rangiku told the woman.

A smile graced her face, Suzume remembered a small Daichi as he wore the same clothes for weeks on end, much to his father's disgust, just because his mother had made them for him, "He hasn't changed much from when he was a child." Suzume's eyes widen as she plays back what she had said and realized that she had told Daichi's secret.

Rangiku's brow furrowed, _how does she know Daichi and why didn't he say something before? Does this have something to do with the reason he has an attitude toward them? _"What do you mean? How did you know him?"_  
_

Suzume sighed heavily and shook her head, "I'm sorry dear, that's not my story to tell. I'm sure he'll tell you himself when he's ready." She watched as Rangiku reluctantly nodded and smiled, "Well, I'll better let you go. Safe travels, Lieutenant Matsumoto."

After saying her goodbyes to the Kurosawa family, Rangiku left the Manor with a small smile on her face. It was an awful mission, the giants were terrifying and they still weren't dealt with but, seeing as their hasn't been another attack on the Manor, she had to return to the Seireitei.

The sun was shining and the temperature was sky-high. Sweat dripped from her brow as she soldiered on through the field toward the forest. No shade to stop in as the field stretched further than she thought. A loud thud and a shaking ground made her jump. _No, not now. This can't be happening now. _The thuds became louder and closer as the vibrations increased. She looked around frantically as she tried to find the source of the noise which she knew wouldn't be that hard seeing as it would likely be a giant.

It shot out of the trees, long, flowing green locks and pale skin. The giant was bigger than the others they had encountered. More muscular. It's speed was incredible as it sprinted across the field toward her. Rangiku's eyes widen as she saw the large cloud of dust left in its wake and the felt the violence of the quakes that causes her to lose her footing. Pushing herself back up, Rangiku takes off with a shunpo, but the giant was too quick. It caught up to her quickly without too much trouble. It slid to stop while scooping her up in one hand. She struggled against the iron grip of the giant fruitlessly. She was trapped and couldn't breathe. _Damn it, why did he have to leave._ Rangiku managed to send off a hell butterfly asking for help.


	14. Chapter 14

**Don't own Bleach. ****Okay guys, I need your help for this. I'm currently on a very large fence, Who should Daichi be with? Rangiku or Sui Feng or should they all go their separate ways. It's entirely up to you.**

The silence in the Head Captain's office was stretched beyond the point of awkward. Daichi had tried to maintain eye contact with the old man. He averted his gaze and it was wondering around the office trying to find something of interest. Nothing. There was nothing that could hold his interest long enough. Soon enough the Head Captain lost patience, "Lieutenant Daichi, are you absolutely certain of this?"

Daichi shook his head and nodded at the Head Captain, "I am, Lieutenant Matsumoto and I found the laboratory and the people behind it. They attacked us before we could find out anything substantial."

A light grunt and a barely there nod, the Head Captain stood from his desk slowly, "Thank you for your report. This is most troubling." The old man waved a hand toward the door. "You may leave now, if I have further use of you in regards to this matter, I'll send for you."

The way the Head Captain had dismissed him made Daichi's eyebrow twitch in frustration. It was as if they were toys to him and it annoyed him. Daichi mentally shrugged it off, it wasn't as if he could do anything about it. It's been like that since the beginning of time. Daichi bowed and walked out of the office.

There air was warm as he exited the main building and the son kisses his skin. Daichi took a moment to bask in the warmth. He had dried off and warmed up. He felt naked. Without his trusted orange kimono. He heaved out a sigh as he remembered the day he was given it. It was his first birthday after joining Squad 13. Kaien and Miyako had decided to inform the Squad and they held a small party for him at the barracks.

* * *

_The Squad all stood underneath the long white banner which read 'Happy Birthday, Daichi!'. The sun had set and the Squad had gathered at the Barracks after all the paperwork and filing had been sorted. Captain Ukitake had sent Daichi off on a delivery to the other side of the Seireitei so they could sort everything out. Food, drinks and gather the people there. **  
**_

_Captain Ukitake knew that Daichi hadn't made many friends since joining the Gotei 13. He knew that he was close to Kaien as they had grown up together and seeing as Kaien was married to Miyako it was only natural that Daichi grew closer to her as well. Ukitake looked around making a final check list, making sure everything was in order. He heard the footsteps approach the door. _

_Daichi burst in threw the door, the air was mild as it was spring time. The wind blustered through and blew out the candles of Daichi's cake and a groan emitted from the crowd. His amber eyes looked around in confusion and found a smirking Kaien surrounded by the squad, Captain Ukitake with his long flowing white hair Miyako with a warm smile, "What have you done, Kaien?"_

_He held up his hands in surrender before placing an arm around Miyako's waist, "Nothing, buddy. Just wishing you a happy birthday." Kaien reached behind him with his free hand and pulled a rectangular box out and gave it to Daichi, "It's from the Squad. Miyako picked it out and thought it'd look good on you and of course I said it couldn't make you look any worse."_

_Daichi smiled, "Nice, Kaien. Thanks a bunch." He said hitting Kaien upside the head before turning to Miyako and the rest of the squad, "You really shouldn't have." Daichi deftly opened the paper and pulled the box open. Underneath the white paper, was a bright orange kimono._

* * *

The day had been good, the team had drunk and ate and bonded. Squad 13 was a tight nit squad. Daichi made his back to his Squad house to catch up with his Captain and some sleep. He had spent the last few days sleeping on a solid floor and he missed his bed. The summer air was warm as a light breeze blew past him. The air of the Seireitei was different to that around the Kurosawa Manor, it wasn't as fresh or clean smelling. That's not to say there was a foul smell in the air, it was a subtle and minute difference but after spending a few days away, the difference becomes enormous.

As he walked down the streets he spotted Sui Feng marching toward him, _oh great, I guess she's here to kill me for earlier. _Daichi put on a lazy, disarming smile for her hoping that she would let her guard down. "Captain Sui Feng, out enjoying the sun this afternoon?"

Sui Feng shook her head, her eyes firmly planted on the floor. She didn't want to be there but she had made a deal with Yoruichi and she would carry out her end of the deal. Turning her slate grey eyes up, she tucked her braid behind her should revealing her slender neck, "Yes." she stated plainly, "I was about to get something to eat and I wanted you to join me." It was rehearsed, every step of her journey here. She went over in her head what she was going to say, scrapped ideas and tweaked wording and she settled on that.

Daichi's eyes widen as he processed what she had said. _Did she just ask me out? No, not this woman. She doesn't do that. _He didn't want to think twice but her angry reaction earlier had doubts in his mind, "What's brought this on? Earlier you wanted to severely hurt me. Not that I'm complaining because it's not everyday that a stunning woman asks me to dinner." A grin broke out on his face.

A blush crept its way up Sui Feng's neck all the way to her cheeks leaving her with a pinkish glow as she averted her eyes from his grin, _He looks like an idiot grinning at me like that, what have I gotten myself into. Damn you Yoruichi. _She internally cursed her mentor, "Look, this is just you making up or earlier. Nothing more. Got it?"

Daichi smirked at her, confidence growing, "Keep telling yourself that Sunshine."

They walked in an awkward silence to the Squad 13 Courtyard. All the times that Daichi had imagined this, going to dinner with Sui Feng, he had always had something to say: a funny anecdote, quips about the people they walked past, anything. The silence grew and he could feel the tension, _this is unbearable. _Daichi shot Sui Feng furtive glances as they made their way through the streets of the Seireitei, ignoring the questioning looks from other Shinigami. On the surface they are an odd couple, she was cold and severe while Daichi was light-hearted and fun. They picked up some food on the way, rice cakes, before continuing on to the Courtyard.

The large gates to the Courtyard were already open when they got there and Daichi gestured to the large cherry blossom tree near the stream. Usually he would sit on his kimono to stay off the grass but that was destroyed in the battle. "So, what made you change your mind?" Daichi asked as he laid out the rice cakes he had purchased.

Sui Feng picked up a rice cake and took a bite to buy herself some time to think of an answer. _My mentor made me a deal if I do this, she kicks a detestable man in the head _wasn't a right response. She swallowed, "Isn't it enough that I'm here? You have to know my motivations as well?" She snapped.

Daichi held up his hands in surrender. His amber eyes met her slate greys, "Jeez, I get it." Daichi said as he put down his rice cake, "I get that you don't want to be here, I do. But can you at least try to look like you're enjoying yourself?"

Opening her mouth and closing again, Sui Feng took a deep breath. He was right, she should at least try to enjoy it. It's not as if they would be making a regular thing about eating together, but it didn't mean she would make it easy for him, "You're right." She mumbled.

A smile lit up his face, he was eating lunch with a woman he had long admired, "Okay, let's start again." he started, "My name is Daichi Senshi, Lieutenant of Squad 13 and I usually look a lot better than this." Daichi introduced himself in a light tone in an attempt to take the scowl off of his lunch date's face.

Her scowl softened slightly and smirked at Daichi. Catching his eyes she responded, "You couldn't look any worse." Sui Feng said plainly, "I'm Sui Feng, Captain of Squad 2 and leader of the Stealth Force."


	15. Chapter 15

**Don't own Bleach.**

A hell butterfly floated over toward the two Shinigami as they finished up their lunch. Daichi spotted it as it hovered just over Sui Feng's head. Slowly, he reached over and noted her eyes widen in response at the action. He smiled at her as his arm went over her head. He drew it back and he heard her sigh when the butterfly came into view. Daichi couldn't tell whether it was relief or disappointment, he hoped for the latter but knew it was more likely the first option. The butterfly relayed its message.

Rangiku needed help, he was to report to the Head Captain's office immediately. The news felt like ice. Rangiku was in trouble and he wasn't there to help. _She was your partner, Daichi. It's your job to make sure she's safe._ He heard Kaien reprimand him in his head. Daichi knew he had let Kaien down. Now wasn't the time to wallow, He had to go and see the Head Captain. Turning to Sui Feng, he smiled sadly, "I gotta go, you know how it is. I'll see you around?" It was a question because even after the pleasant meal, he was still unsure of where he stood.

She nodded, although she may not want to establish a romantic relationship with him, maybe they could be friends. Sui Feng didn't know how to be a friend, she only really had one and that was Yoruichi, "Okay, but this stays between us. _No one _can know."

Daichi nodded and shunpoed away with great speed. It didn't take him long to get to the Head Captain's office. His mind was dark, blaming himself. Looking back on his time at the Kurosawa Manor, he had openly insulted their honour and Akira Kurosawa personal honour. If he just kept his mouth shut. If he just bit his tongue that last time. If only... Daichi shook his head clear of those thoughts. He learned after Kaien's death that 'what ifs' and 'if only' were pointless sentiments. Daichi had watched as Rukia had beat herself up over Kaien's death. It took him a while, but he managed to get her to see the worth in Kaien's death and the lessons that it had taught her. With a lot of help from Captain Ukitake, Daichi had managed to get her back to training.

He was greeted by the gruff Lieutenant and was escorted in to the office.. The gargoyle posture of the Head Captain was as still as it had ever been, unreadable, _Is he still alive? I don't think he's breathing. _"What's happened? Where's Rangiku?" Daichi asked._  
_

The Head Captain's crept open and regard Daichi for a tense moment, he was terse and abrupt, "She was taken by a Giant. Lieutenant Matsumoto managed to send this message before falling unconscious." His tone was clipped but remained in the calm and steady manner everyone had come to expect from the old man, "She was nearing the edge of the Rukongai Forest on near the Kurosawa Clan's Manor. I am sending you to retrieve Lieutenant Matsumoto, you leave immediately. Failure is not an option, Lieutenant Senshi." The fire in the old man's eyes made Daichi look at the ground.

Wordlessly, Daichi turned on his heel and left the office. He needed to get to Rangiku. Bring her home so she can see her Captain. He wasn't an idiot, he could tell how she felt about him. The way her eyes would shine a brighter blue than usual when she spoke about the little white-haired Captain. Daichi made it to the gates again. All this travelling was taking its toll. He hadn't been back in the Seireitei that long and now he was leaving again. It was new to him, usually he'd leave carry out his assignment and be back for an extended period of time.

He began the journey again, this time with a sense of urgency. His partner was in trouble and she needed him. Maybe he should have asked for a team. Looking back at the giant that had attacked him and Rangiku the first time, it would have been the smart move. But common sense seemed to have abandoned him in the Head Captain's office.

His shunpo was fast, one of the fastest among the Lieutenants. It was swallowing up the ground before him, weaving through the tree tops of the Rukongai forest. He had already passed through the Rukongai. His gaze swept from left to right as he paused momentarily atop of the tallest tree he could find to look for anything in the distance that could lead him to Rangiku. _Where are you, Rangiku? _He asked himself as his gaze swept across the green landscape in front of him. Fields and forests stretch for miles with farms and isolated Manor's like the Kurosawas dotted sporadically across the land. _I should head to the Kurosawa's, see if they know anything._

A plan in mind, Daichi made his way to the Kurosawa Manor looking for his partner. He wasn't sure he could call her a friend yet but knew that if he was to ever call her a friend, he'd have to find her first.

Exiting the forest he came to the familiar stretch of land with the large building facing him. The last sliver of the sun was just visible as Daichi made his way to the Manor. He ignored the guards as they tried to stop him from entering the gate. Daichi marched confidently up the large wooden door of the Manor and knocked three times. His confidence began to waver. The last time he was here he had seriously pissed off the Lord of the Manor. Had enough time gone by for him to cool off or would he still hold it against him. _It doesn't matter _Daichi told himself, _what matters is whether they can tell you anything about Rangiku's disappearance._

Unfortunately for Daichi, it was Akira Kurosawa who opened the door, _I'm surprised he answered his own door. Shouldn't he have people for that? _Quickly shaking his head free of those thoughts, Daichi bowed his head, "I'm not here to insult you or your family again. I need to know what happened to my partner." Daichi said softly, hoping to appeal to the man's sense of honour which Daichi had openly questioned when he had stayed with the Nobleman._  
_

Akira folded his arms and made no effort to move to allow the Shinigami entrance. He had his pride after all. He no longer needed the Shinigami's services and therefore didn't want him in his home. He looked familiar and he didn't know why but it brought up feelings of hatred toward him. There was something about the Shinigami's face that elicited those feelings inside him and when he insulted the Kurosawa family, that justified him for feeling that way. "That is no business of ours. We appreciate your help but you aren't welcome here." Kurosawa's tone was cold and distant.

Daichi sighed. He wasn't too proud that he wouldn't beg he just hoped he could have kept his dignity. Lifting his gaze to meet Akira's piercing, steely glare. They were at a stalemate, both unflinching, Daichi broke first, "It will be when the Giants come back for you and your family." Daichi felt bad for bringing his family into it but he also felt that Akira should be told the ramifications of not cooperating.

A scowl formed on Akira's face, "You don't learn do you, boy? I am aware that my family are still in danger. We've felt the quakes and heard the roars. Do you think I'm stupid?"

Remaining calm, Daichi stepped back, "If you don't help me." He started, "You hate me. I get it. A lot of people do. But I don't want your feelings toward me to get my partner killed. Now please tell me what you know." The plea in Daichi's voice must have gotten through to the man as Daichi saw the scowl soften.

Before Akira could say anything his wife came to the door, he warm brown eyes and welcoming smile put Daichi at ease, "Ah, I knew you would be back." She smiled, "I have something for you." She grabbed the Shinigami's wrist and dragged him into the Manor.


	16. Chapter 16

**Don't own Bleach. Be sure to leave a review and let me know what you think.**

It was the smell that woke Rangiku. Pungent and sharp, the smell assaulted her nostrils. She tried to hold back but couldn't. Rangiku gagged and began coughing violently. The smell was horrendous, it was as if a lot of different fish were left out in the desert heat. _What is that smell? It's disgusting._

She quickly recovered, breathing threw her mouth. Rangiku took deep breaths to calm herself down. Looking around, her surroundings were unfamiliar to her. The room was dark but for a torch of fire that was sat on the wall opposite her. She tried to move her arms. They didn't budge. Her legs were the same. She looked across at her arms. Bare and bound to a rack. Her eyes went down to her body and she found herself staring at her naked body. Stripped and bound wasn't something she had expected or had ever experienced.

_The Captain will come for me, I know he will. In the mean time, I'll survive._ Resolved and ready, Rangiku steeled herself. Looking around the room, the prison, she was being kept, Rangiku looked for a way out. A dark, wooden door with a small slit to look through. _That could work_ she thought. She struggled against her bindings. The ropes were tight but Rangiku still fought against them. She struggled and fought at the ropes until her wrists began to glow red. The burning sensation faded and left a dull ache that nagged at her. Growing impatient, Rangiku violently wrenched her arms in a desperate attempt to free them.

Blood began to snake its way down her arms. Her whole body relaxed as the warmth of her blood made her feel tired. _Great, now I have to wait to be rescued. I can't even help them. _Just as quickly as the thought entered her mind, the door opened. It creaked as a the door was pushed open. A large shadow filled the room from the light of the hallway. It would be ominous if Rangiku hadn't faced down things ten times the size of the person coming into her prison.

A tall, hulking man ducked under the door frame. He had short black hair, beady black eyes that looked dead, thin lips and a pointy nose. He had a frown on his face as he looked back up at Rangiku. His beady eyes roamed her naked body and a smirk played his lips, "I knew it was a good idea to have you strip." He said in a confident tone, "Where is the other one? The Brainiacs said there were two of you in the area.

_How many people are involved in this? _Rangiku asked herself. Daichi and herself had thought it was just the two that they met back at the farm. But with this mammoth of a man, that theory went out of the window. She didn't want them to know that Daichi had managed to sneak by them by leaving early nor did she want to let them know that the Kurosawa family was defenceless, she put on a flirtatious smile, "Oh, Handsome. You don't want to know about him. He's boring."

The man looked unaffected by Rangiku's flirting and took a step back. Out of nowhere, a large, meaty fist came flying toward her face. She could have easily dodged it had she been untied. The blow struck her across the jaw. He smiled at the grunt that he heard after the echoed thud of the impact of his fist, "Now, you may be able to get every man in the Seireitei under that spell of yours, but not me. Now, did the other one get back to the Seireitei?"

She spat blood at him, _I'm not just another pretty face, you bastard. _Rangiku smirked as a worm of blood made its way down her chin, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Rangiku braced herself for another hit. Instead the door open and shut again. She opened her eyes and found herself alone again. Her face ached. Rangiku breathed a sigh of relief. The time alone gave her time to reflect on her situation. She was taken by a giant. _Why would they take me and not just kill me? Count your blessings, you're still alive. __  
_

The draft in the room began to get to Rangiku. The temperature rapidly dropping in the room. She could see her breath as it left her body. It was unlike the summer temperatures she loved. Her muscles began to ache after being in the same position for so long. Her teeth began to chatter. It wasn't as cold as Hyorinmaru but still cold enough to chill her to the bone. _Come on, Daichi._ It was the first time she had thought him coming to her rescue. It confused her, he wasn't the type to mount rescue attempts.

Maybe he would. After all, it was Daichi who knew about the Giants and the fact that the Head Captain will want to keep the Captains in the Seireitei just in case Aizen made an appearance. The obvious choice would be Daichi. She understood. The Head Captain can't leave the Seireitei undermanned and defenceless if Aizen were to show himself.

It never occurred to her that she'd be held prisoner, Rangiku always assumed she'd be killed on the battlefield. Clenching her fists, she tried again to break free. Her wrists were already bleeding and the rope burn stung. The fight died off as she felt tired. The bitter cold in the air drained what little energy she had left. Her eyelids began to drift shut. Exhaustion from the pain and the cold. It was a losing fight she was fighting as she valiantly lifted her eyelids again. Her gaze caught on the orange flames as they danced.

_Maybe it's symbolic, a little light in the darkness? __Oh god, I'm looking for signs in fire. _Rangiku scoffed as her eyelids began to droop again. It was cold, her body was freezing, she thought it would freeze solid at some point. Rangiku tried to keep her eyes open because she knew that she wouldn't sleep in the position she's in. _I will make it out of here. I will. I won't die in a place like this._

The dark room was getting smaller. The walls closing in. Rangiku had felt like this before, it was suffocating. Her vision began to blur, the flames became a blur of orange. Rangiku's chest began to heave as she tried to catch her breath. Her breathing became rapid. _What's going on with me _was her last thought before the blackness took over and her head hung lifelessly/


	17. Chapter 17

**Don't own Bleach**

He didn't want to be there. It was just information he wanted, there was little time to waste and Daichi found himself sat at the Kurosawa's dining table with their children while Suzume went to collect whatever she had for him and Akira had stormed off unable to tolerate Daichi's presence in his home. He looked at the Kurosawa children and they were all glaring at him. He shrunk in his seat at the heat of the glares. "Wow, you guys really hold a grudge."

There were three Kurosawa children. Two daughters, Miyako and Kimiko. Twins that took after their mother. The same ebony hair and big brown eyes. A curvaceous figure much like Rangiku but they were covered up which made Daichi's life easy as he didn't have them distracting him. Beautiful, _if that was what Lady Kurosawa looked like, wow. Lord Kurosawa was a lucky man. _They also had a son, Hikaru, he had his mother's dark hair but his father's bright blue eyes except he seemed to wide eyed and innocent as opposed to his father who always seemed to be angry.

It was Hikaru, tall and lean as he sat opposite Daichi. The man towered over Daichi even in a seated position, in a deep voice that caught Daichi off guard because of how similar it sounded to Akira, "You have some nerve coming back here. Rabble like you easily judge noble families without the slightest idea of how much pressure there is on us."

_Oh I know, you don't know who you're talking to. _The thought sang in his mind ready to be unleashed to put Hikaru in his place but Daichi held it back. It was something he had done since he joined the Academy, hide his family. It wasn't that he was ashamed or embarrassed, it's that he doesn't like the way most nobles behave and didn't want to be associated with that. Luckily, his family had become less known over the years. He held up his hands, "Don't worry your pretty little head, I'll be gone as soon as your mother gets back,"

Miyako laid a hand on Hikaru's forearm after seeing her brother's dark eyebrow twitch. She always looked after her little brother. He was a trouble make and she would always have to help him out of it, "Hikaru." She warned, "Go and take a walk." Her stern voice and stance was very much like her father.

Daichi watched on as Hikaru stood without breaking eye contact with Daichi. His amber eyes stayed on his piercing blues. This was the attitude of the nobles that he wanted to get away from. His father had it and so did his older brother. They were better than everyone else, it's their way or no way.

After Hikaru had left there was a tense silence in the room. Daichi grew more uncomfortable as he could feel the twins' glare at him, "You know, you may look like your mother but you remind me of your father."

"We get that a lot." They said in unison with the same cold, detached tone.

He let out a whistle, "Wow, you _really _don't like me." Daichi chuckled. When neither of them say anything he continued, "Your brother is a bit of a hot head." He said leaning back in and linking his hands behind his head.

Miyako, the older of the sisters, sat stoic and unmoved, "I'm not surprised. He's a very proud man like our father."

"But not you? You're not like them?" Daichi asked.

She shook her head subtly and looked to her sister before looking back at Daichi, "No." She said simply.

The silence let Daichi know she wasn't going to continue. He sighed. Daichi looked between the two sisters, "You don't seem to like the noble life. What is it? The people? The food? It's the food isn't it? No, let me guess, it's the parties."

She shook her head, her face betraying nothing. An emotionless mask,"Is see right through you. " Miyako started. "You crack your jokes to hide what's really going on. You're afraid of the reality you have found yourself in. It's why you make your jokes, it makes your dull reality a little more bearable."

Daichi just sat and stared at her, his gaze never wavered, and a smirk played at his lips. He leaned on his elbows, "You got me!" He exclaimed and leaned back in his chair, "It's a wonder I can come up with enough one liners to get me through the day."

Kimiko, who had been silent until now, leaned forward and looked at her sister, "Did you hear that Miyako?" She asked her sister before turning to Daichi, "I don't think you have a dull life. I mean the life of a Shinigami must be interesting if not a little terrifying. I think it's something else. I can't put my finger on it though." Kimiko tilted her head drastically to the side

His eyes darted between the two sisters. _Where is Suzume? These people are killing me. _He needed to get out of there before he said something else that would make the Kurosawa family hate him even more, "I suppose you'll just have to live with that."

After a moment of tense silence, Suzume came in to the dining room with a smile on her face. Her eyes sparkled as she held something behind her back. As she approached Daichi, the smile turned small. Warm and friendly. "You left this here. It was in pretty bad shape but I managed to get it back to what it was like before... Well before it was ruined. My daughters actually managed to get it clean and I fixed the tears"

Daichi looked at the kimono. It was neatly folded and almost good as new. The color was back and now void of the blood and smoke and ash. The orange was almost as clean as it was when he was given it. He was speechless, Daichi wasn't lost for words very often and it would take something miraculous to make him so. He looked at the older woman, _why did she do that? _Mutely, Daichi took the kimono and slipped it on over his Shihakusho, "I... I don't know what to say." He let out a light chuckle.

Hikaru chose that moment to enter with his father. The two Kurosawa men entered the dining hall with matching frowns, "How about 'Thank you, Lady Kurosawa. Thank you very much for fixing my rags'" Hikaru sneered.

Holding his tongue, Daichi ignored the noble and turned to the two women who he had spoken to before Suzume arrived, "You did this?" He watched as Kimiko nodded while Miyako look away, "You have no idea what this means to me."

Suzume smiled as did Kimiko, the matriarch chuckled, "It's quite all right, dear. Besides your partner assumed there was something special about that Kimono for you."

His face fell as Suzume mentioned Rangiku, he was on a mission after all. "Could any of you tell me if you saw anything or heard anything? I can't sense her Reiatsu."

"Some Shinigami you are." Hikaru mumbled under his breath.

It was ignored when Akira sighed before speaking, "I saw one of those... Things run east just after she had left. I don't understand how she managed to get captured so easily."

Rushing to Rangiku's defence, Daichi turned to Akira, "It may surprise you but us Shinigami aren't invincible. She was already injured and we didn't get to patch up her wounds from the battle." He turned back to Suzume, "Thank you again, I gotta get going. Damsel in distress to save."

Turning on his heel, Daichi left the dining room and headed down the corridor that, he hoped, led to the exit. It was a large Manor and every time he had left before he had been with Rangiku or was escorted out. Luckily, he found the large wooden door and pushed it open. The feeling of relief coursed through his veins. The fresh air hit his face, he let his fingertips brush against his kimono,_ time to get Rangiku back. _He began his trek to the east.


	18. Chapter 18

**Don't own Bleach. Be sure to leave a review. Pretty please? This chapter caused me a bit of trouble. It's had about four rewrites. Eventually it took a gallon of coffee and an almost all-nighter and I'm still not too happy with it.**

It was a pleasant view. The rolling hills surrounded by the dark green tree tops with a bright blue sky to top it off. Normally, he'd stop and enjoy the view and contemplate everything, his life, the day's events, anything. Not today, today he was on a mission. He had to rescue Rangiku from god knows where. He needed some luck. He sighed and kept moving, Daichi didn't want to use Shunpo just in case he missed something. _The smallest thing could give me a clue about where she is._

He had followed the Kurosawa's information and headed east. Daichi headed east and kept going looking for any sign of Rangiku. The sun began to rise over the hills as he walked. The fatigue was beginning to catch up to him but battled through it, he didn't want to leave Rangiku there any longer than he had to. _She shouldn't even be_ there,the voice inside his head berated him. He knew it was at least partly his fault. If he had been there then they could have at least tried to fight the thing together. The Giant's immense strength would be too much for most any Lieutenant but the two of them could have escaped like the last time.

His eyes began to droop, _I'll have to take a nap soon. _Looking to his left he found the edges of a forest. _That'll do. _Daichi shunpoed to the top of the tree. He leant against the rough, thick trunk with his head lulled back. Daichi closed his eyes, _just an hour or two, _he told himself.

A couple of hour later, the sun was bright. Daichi lifted his arms to cover his eyes from the sun's assault on them. It was a pointless battle as Daichi woke up. He ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. It was unruly and sticking out in all directions. He hopped down from the tree and started his trek east again. _What if I passed them already? No, there too big to just disappear besides there's still footprints._

The trail of footprints were still going strong and kept going. They were huge, bigger than the giant they had fought but smaller than the ones he had found. Walking beside them made him feel so insignificant to them. They were almost as big as the bedroom he had stayed in with Rangiku. _How could something so big go undetected for so long? _He wondered. The thought that the Head Captain had no knowledge of this whatsoever baffled him, surely someone must have passed on a rumour or at least mentioned something about spotting something that massive roaming the Soul Society. _We're lucky they haven't hit the Rukongai. I bet the Head Captain would take notice then._

He followed the footsteps a little further until the veered right. Turning to his right, he didn't see any more footsteps. Only a veil of trees and hanging vines that blocked the view of what was past them. _What the hell? Where did it go? _He craned his neck to look round. Turning in a circle he grew frustrated. He had lost the only trail to Rangiku. Failure, that's what Daichi felt like. It was a feeling he hadn't felt since Kaien was killed. He hated it.

Through the trees, he caught something out of the corner of his eyes. Daichi brushed through the vines and branches. It opened up into a lake. A crystal clear lake. He could see on the other side of the Lake above the trees, the top of a roof._ "_That's got to be it, right?" he asked himself. The thought of swimming across the lake made Daichi shudder. He shunpoed across the lake in three easy steps. It was a steep hill that stood between him and Rangiku now. The hill was almost a mountain. It had rocks and trees that made climbing it a tough task even with shunpo. _  
_

He began the climb with a grunt. His feet were already sore and his legs ached. Daichi was tired, the energy he got from his short nap earlier had got him this far. Climbing the hill proved harder than he thought. The ground was loose and he had lost his footing and landed face down in the dirt back at the bottom. Pulling himself back to his feet, Daichi brushed himself down and started to march up the hill again. He kept his feet light and grabbed trees for support when he could.

Sweat poured down from his forehead as he reached the summit. Daichi bent forward with his hands on his knees and took deep breaths. "Not as fit as I used to be, old age must be creeping up on me." He joked. Turning his attention to the house, it was large, three stores high, dark blue walls and a chimney. The windows were blacked out and the door was boarded up. _This must be the place, at least I hope it is.__  
_

As he was about to move, the boarded door was pushed open. The scrape of the wood on the floor put Daichi on alert. As the wood was forced off of the frame, a figure stood on the other side. It was concealed in shadow before it took a menacing step forward. He was small and muscular with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He had violet eyes and yellow hair. Daichi stood back, his kimono blowing in the wind, "Hey there, I was wondering if you could help me." Daichi started, "I'm looking for my friend, you'd remember her, she's really pretty, long golden hair, blue eyes. Have you seen her?"

The man shook his head, a stoic look on his face, "Nope, can't say I have. Like you said, I'm sure I'd remember someone like around that around here. Now, if you'd leave I'd be grateful."

"Well, I was told she went this way and this is the only place I've come across that she could be. Are you sure you haven't seen her?" Daichi asked.

A frown formed on the small man's face, "You ain't listening. She ain't here." He pointed back the way Daichi came, "Now get outta here!"

Holding his ground, Daichi remained stood still, he watched the man as his eyebrow twitched and the vein on his temple pulsed, "You're not a very good liar. Tell me where my friend is. Where is Rangiku?"_  
_

A bolt of lightning struck down at the man. Smoke and dust engulfed him, he was invisible from the outside. Daichi couldn't see a thing, he raised his arm to cover his eyes and face to stop himself from inhaling the dust. Before he could read the situation, a loud visceral roar erupted from the cloud and the ground shook.


	19. Chapter 19

**Don't own Bleach. I'm sorry it's taking a long time to get through this story. It's no excuse but I've had some personal issues to deal with. I hope that you are still with me and enjoying the story.**

The first thing that she noticed when she woke was the warmth. The room was much warmer than it had been. As she peeled her eyes open she saw the black blanket that was wrapped around her shoulders. It hung down past her waist, it was old and musty but it was warm. Rangiku was confused, she knew she wasn't wearing a blanket when she went unconscious, _where did it come from? Is it a trick? Are they just preparing their next round of torture?_

She had already been cut and frozen, maybe they would burn her next. Rangiku didn't know what they had planned for her but she did know that she had to get out of there. The door was firmly shut and the slit was closed, she couldn't even peek outside. Luckily the torch was still burning from across the room so she could still see her surroundings. Not that it was a lot, there were no windows, no external light just the torch. There was a wooden stool opposite her and a long wooden bench off to the right. It looked a bleak prospect for her to escape on her own. Knowing that she was in a weakened state, Rangiku slumped forward again.

A click of the lock being turned startled her. The door eased open and a little boy poked his head out from behind the door. A tentative look on his face. He had ruffled blonde hair and large brown eyes with freckles dusting his face. The little boy came in and sat on the stool in front of Rangiku. "Hi, you're looking better than you were."

The voice was soft and sincere to her ears. Rangiku looked up and met his small, shy smile, "Who are you?" She rasped.

The boy pulled out a cup of water from behind him. He stood and put the cup to her lips and lifted the cup gently. Watching as she drank down some of the water, the boy wondered why she was even there, "There you go." He said lifting the cup away.

She watched wearily as the boy removed the cup and sat back down on the stool. _Who is this kid and why is he helping me? What's he even doing here? _The questions nagged at her as the boy just sat and smiled at her.. "What do you want? Who are you?"

A small smile was all she got from the boy for a moment. He shook his head. "Sorry about that, I'm Shou. At least that's what they call me."

_That didn't answer my first question _she noted. "What do you want?" Rangiku repeated.

The smile dropped from his face at the sound of her caustic tone, "I...I...I just wanted to see how you were doing. I checked on you earlier and gave you the blanket. I'm sorry." Shou rambled.

Her features softened as the boy rambled on. The look on the boy's face was innocent, like he didn't know what the people who took her did or were going to do. Maybe she could use the boy at least to get some information. With tired eyes she looked at the boy, "Tell me, Shou, where are we?"

He looked uncomfortable as he shifted on the stool, "I... I'm not sure I should tell you." He stuttered.

She smiled as warmly as she could. It probably looked more like a grimace but it's all she could muster at this point. "Please, Shou. I just want to know where I am. Besides I'm stuck here," She wriggled her fingers and tried to make a show of trying to break free, "see? I can't even move."

The boy sighed, but didn't look any less uncomfortable, "We're still in the Soul Society." He told her avoiding eye contact. His eyes shot up and met hers. Tears in his eyes, "Please don't make me tell you any more." Shou pleaded.

_Can't or won't? _Rangiku wondered cynically. She normally wasn't a cynical person but being held captive and nearly frozen had changed things. Maybe that's the worst of it, they will just let her be in her prison. Or maybe they will come back for more. It was bothering her why she was taken and what they had planned for her if anything. _No, surely they would have killed me already. _It confused her, if history is anything to go by, they should have killed her in a frenzied attack as soon as they saw her. That's what they did with the Kurosawa's, they didn't seem to be the type to take prisoners.

At least they were still in the Soul Society, she was thankful for that. "Thank you." She breathed, "Why are you doing this?" Rangiku gestured to the blanket.

Shou looked down shyly, "You were beginning to turn blue all over. I figured that they wouldn't mind if I kept you warm." A deep red blush blossomed on his face.

She smiled at the boy. _He's so innocent, it's so precious. _Rangiku nodded, "Could you tell me something?" Shou nodded his head, "Have you heard of anything about the giants?"

The boy squirmed under her intense gaze, Shou was uncomfortable with the question. _I knew it, what is it?_ _Tell me. _"It's..."

A loud crash made the boy slam his mouth shut, A green haired man strutted in to the room. Rangiku looked at the man sharply. It was a face she recognized. He was there in the basement underneath the farm. He looked relatively unharmed, _did his sister get out? _she wondered. She saw the smirk grow on his face the closer he got. If she could, she'd pull the blanket tight around herself. The smirk was lecherous, she could see the lust in his eyes.

Ayumu Oshiro, the man from the farm, approached Rangiku confidently. He oozed confidence. His brown eyes roamed over Rangiku before he found Shou, "Shou, leave us. I imagine there is something of use you could be doing, no?" The boy quickly nodded and scurried out of the room. Ayumu turned back to Rangiku, "Now, tell me, where did your funny little friend go? We have to finish things from last time."

She stared at the man for a moment before a smirk tugged her lips up, "Where's your sister? I'm sure she'd love to see this." A green haired woman stepped in to the room with a smile on her face.

Rangiku's eyes widen. _She should be dead. There wasn't anyway that she could have survived that blast. _Seeing a woman she thought was dead had shocked Rangiku. _How did she survive? _

Takara smirked at the shocked look on her captive's face, "What? You really think that I'd kill myself just to take you out? Trust me, you're not worth it. Besides, our plan will be beginning shortly and I wouldn't want to miss out on that, would I? Come to think of it, I wouldn't want you to miss it either which is why we are keeping you alive for now. It's a pity we couldn't find your boyfriend, I'm sure you wouldn't want to watch without a date. Oh well." She laughed as she left the room with her brother following.

Left in an empty room and an empty feeling, after everything that had happened, nothing had changed. The giants were still about, the creators of the giants were still alive and she was stuck here with the information and no way of escape. She closed her eyes as a tear escaped and ran down her face.


	20. Chapter 20

**Don't own Bleach. Just a quick update, the next chapter is taking longer than I wanted personal things came up so it might take a few more days for it to get posted. I hope you guys understand. I didn't want to tease you by adding another chapter just to tell you this. Love you guys. X**

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The smoke was thick as it began to surround him. He coughed loudly as he raised an arm to cover his face. _What was that? What just happened? _It wasn't clear but, to Daichi, it appeared that something fell from the sky on to the man. The dust began to settle around them. A roar ripped through the silence. It became visible. The violet eyes were fierce and angry while the yellow hair became wild and unruly. _Okay, that's messed up. What have they done? _The minute the thought entered his brain a giant foot was crashing down.

Daichi shunpoed out-of-the-way. He ended up a good distance away and he could still feel the aftershocks of the impact. _how am I going to beat this by myself? _He reached for his Zanpakuto. An iron grip on the hilt with two hands, Daichi shunpoed up on to the Giant's shoulder and stabbed down. Blood began to trickle down the Giant's arm like sap on a tree trunk. Before he could get out-of-the-way, the giant swatted him off as if he was brushing of a speck of dirt off.

He landed on his feet. Daichi watched the Giant's blood drip from down from the cut on his shoulder down to its fingers. It didn't seem to affect him, not even a little. The giant swung his bloody fist down on top of him. Again, Daichi managed to avoid the hit. _One hit like that and I'm done. _The thought scared him. It would take a lot to bring the Giant down but a single hit from the Giant would kill him. Daichi shunpoed through the Giant's legs and slashed at its ankles. His blow was stopped when the Giant's Achilles tendon formed a hard diamond like shell.

_What is that? _Daichi backed away. _I can't cut it. _He watched as the Giant looked around for him like it had lost its favorite toy. It worried Daichi that the small man who barely stood up to Daichi's chest was now a walking mountain of muscle. He had an idea on how immobilize it but didn't have the slightest clue on how to kill it. He had hoped to see Kurosutchi before leaving the Seireitei but, given the circumstances, he didn't get the chance.

The Giant swung a leg out. It made contact. It sent Daichi flying across the lake like a cannon ball. He landed on the other side hard against a tree. Daichi was slumped forward, blood leaked from his nose and mouth. His arms hung by his sides, his Zanpakuto in his right hand. Daichi pulled himself up and assessed the situation. It was strong, really strong, the Giant had an intelligence of sorts, it could harden its skin. He needed to prevent it from hardening.

Floating at eye level with the Giant and caught its eye. It was unbelievable to Daichi that the thing he was looking at used to be a regular person. He wondered what had happened to give him this ability. It was scary to think that these Giants could be posing as regular people, blending and hiding among the crowds. A merchant or child, maybe it was jumping ahead but it could be a possibility. Daichi remained calm and put on a smile, "I guess things are a little more complicated than I thought."

Saliva covered Daichi as the Giant let out a guttural roar. Daichi stood there with his eyes closed. After the rain of saliva stopped, he opened his eyes and lifted his arms. Saliva clung to him as it began to drip from him. "You know, that was really uncalled for." Daichi pointed the palm of his left hand at the Giant's face while bracing his elbow with his right hand, "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado #31, Shakkahou!" The fireball exploded on the Giant's face.

Daichi escaped the swing from the Giant and shot of a couple more Shakkahou. His time in the Kido Corps had taught him how to quick fire some lower levelled Kido. He turned and fled while the Giant staggered about. _Maybe Kido is the way forward against these things. _If that was the case, he would have to pull out some of the higher levelled Kido. Daichi turned back around to face the Giant, who had recovered and now sported scorch marks on his face. It scowled at him before erupting into another spine chilling roar.

_I'm beginning to wonder if there is a weak spot at all on this thing _Daichi thought grimly. It began to dawn on him that the time he spent battling this Giant was more time the people behind them. _Maybe it's time to bring out the high levelled Kido, __maybe a combination attack. _Daichi backed away from the Giant with haste, "Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro." Six luminous rods appeared and surrounded the Giant. They lingered around it as it lazily swung at them. The rods imprisoned the Giant as they trapped it around the waist.

He stared at his work with an impressed smirk, "I've still got it, it seems." _I still need to defeat this thing before I can move on. _Daichi watched as the Giant struggled against his Kido. It wasn't the most powerful binding Kido but it was something he could pull off quickly. The time he spent in the Kido Corps had allowed him to be able to perform Kido at a higher level than a lot of other Shinigami who go straight into one of the Gotei 13. It may have taken him longer to get into a Squad, but Daichi felt the time he had spent in the Corps was very much worth it. _If only the old woman could see me now. _His mentor was a task master but he would always be thankful for her for not giving up on him when he would mess up.

A crash came from the direction of the Giant and Daichi whipped his head to see what happened. His eyes widen as he saw shards of his Kido scattered at the Giant's feet. It was crouched on one knee, knuckles in the dirt. It reared its head back up and roared again, _I suppose it can't be helped. _Daichi huffed out a laugh,_ You better behave yourself today, no funny business. _Daichi secured his grip around the emerald-green hilt of his Zanpakuto, "Condemn, Kasaihime." He muttered.


	21. Chapter 21

**Don't own Bleach. Thank you to all those who have favorited, followed, reviewed, read my story. It means a lot. I hope that you will continue to read as we get further into the story. Let me know what you think.**

She stared at the wall opposite. It was becoming familiar, she had lost track of the length of time she had been in the room. It could be hours or days, she wasn't sure. Rangiku couldn't be completely sure they hadn't given her anything to cloud her mind. Every time she opened her eyes, it was all blurry and there was always that strange, sweet taste in her mouth. Her once bright blue eyes had dulled, they darted around the room and saw the Oshiro twins stood by the torch. Ayumu stood casually leaning with his arms folded across his chest while Takara stood calmly with a smirk on her face. "What do you want now? Haven't you already done enough?" Rangiku asked tiredly.

Takara smirked at her confidently, "It's time." She stated, "It's your turn."

_My turn? For what? _Rangiku's eyes narrow suspiciously, "What do you mean, my turn?"

The green haired woman cackled loudly. her brown eyes had a menacing glint in them, "It's a surprise, I know you'll love it."

Her words made Rangiku's stomach turn. An uneasy feeling settled in for Rangiku. She hated the useless feeling that was overtaking her, she wasn't _that _girl, the damsel in need of rescuing. She was a Lieutenant of the Gotei 13. _I will escape this place _she vowed, _I don't need rescuing. _It was a feeling that had fizzled out of her as she froze. It wasn't something Rangiku wanted to feel.

Pushing himself off the wall, Ayumu strode up to Rangiku and untied her hands. He stood over her naked body as she collapsed to the floor. "Oh come on, you''re a Lieutenant of the Gotei 13. I thought you were stronger than this." Ayumu pulled Rangiku to her feet. The blanket glided to the ground landing in a crumpled pile at her feet. "This all part of the process. We drained your Reiatsu ready for the procedure, it was a quick process. This chamber is my creation, it drains the Reiatsu of those who are held here." he grinned proudly.

Wobbly legs and a queasy feeling in her stomach, Rangiku tried to hold her head up. _No, I will not go out like this. This is not how I die._ Her resolve was building. The fire was building inside her, she knew she couldn't take much more but she won't go down with out a fight. Her Hakuda wasn't the strongest in the Seireitei but she could hold her own. Patience wasn't her strong suit either. Rangiku was impulsive but, this time, she would have to wait for an opening. Significantly weakened by their prison, Rangiku had time it perfectly. Ayumu and Takara gripped her arms and began to drag her out of the room. _Just a little more _she told herself. Their grip tightened as they passed through the door, Rangiku allowed her head to lull, giving herself a chance to look for anyone who could stop her in her tracks.

Seeing no one, Rangiku struck. Stomping down on Ayumu's foot. Rangiku spun and struck Ayumu in the face and threw him forcefully to the floor. She gave a straight kick to Takara's mid section. It was lucky they weren't stronger otherwise she would be in trouble. Rangiku unleashed a flurry of punches to Takara's face. Takara fell backwards with a bloody and beaten face. Blood poured from her newly crooked nose and mouth.

Looking around frantically, Rangiku tried to find a way out. _No time to find my things, I need to escape and I guess I'll have to do it nude._ There were doors on bother ends of the corridor. Still weak, Rangiku stumbled as she headed to a door. She had no idea where it led but needed to get out of there and back to the Seireitei. She fell against the wall as she closed in on the door. Rangiku fell through the door as she pushed it open.

It was a set of stairs leading down. _This is the way. _Rangiku thought confidently gripping the rail. The stairs were steep, her feet easily overhanging. It was difficult to keep balance, her knuckles were white with an intense grip on the rail. Slow and steady, one step at a time. Her heart thumped the closer the bottom she got. Unsure of what was awaiting her once she was down there, Rangiku's thoughts assumed the worst. It was hard not to think like that when she was take captive.

She reached the bottom. It was a small square with a dark green door right in front of her and a door to her left. Another choice to make, freedom or capture. Her eyes darted between the two doors as she contemplated which door to take. It would have helped if Daichi was captured with her, they could have split up, that way, at least one of them would make it and tell the Seireitei where the other one was. She chose the left door. Rangiku apprehensively reached for the door and pushed it open slowly.

Without a sound, the door slid open revealing a large, darkened room. Rangiku edged inside. As soon as she slid her foot was over the threshold, she heard a creak. It couldn't have been her. Her eyes dart around the room, looking for any sign of life, a bird, a mouse, anything that could have caused the noise. A shadow darted across in front of her. It was fast, just a blur. Looking around Rangiku assumed there would be a window somewhere. Seeing nothing, Rangiku's search took to the floor, for anything heavy. She moved inside the room, still wary that something was in there with her. She felt for things a long the floor with her feet. It had to be heavy enough to break through the wall but light enough for her to be able to throw in her weakened state.

However, her plan was interrupted when she felt something move around her legs. Startled, Rangiku stepped away and heard a whine. In the darkness of the room she could make out the long fluffy tail and the large yellow eyes, _It's just a cat_ Rangiku thought. As soon as that thought entered her mind she was struck in the back of the head. Blood matted her hair as she fell to the ground. It was slow motion for Rangiku. Before her eyes shut, she felt a familiar Reiatsu near by. Although there was something else there. _I guess I'm going to have to play the damsel then. _A small smile was on her lips as she hit the floor.

A muscular, dark skinned man with blonde corn rows and reflective sunglasses, stood over Rangiku's unconscious body. His deep, baritone voice filled the air, "You ain't gettin' away that easy, Little Girl. They have plans for you." Coldly, he picked up Rangiku and slung her body over his shoulder like a caveman with his prey and took her back the way she had come.


	22. Chapter 22

**A few things I think you should know. One, I don't know how long this story is going to be. Two, I plan on doing a sequel if you want it. Let me know. On a side note, for those who are interested in my other stories, I am in the beginning stages of planning the sequel to _Patience and Premature Justice_. Don't expect it any time soon, but just know that it's going to get done. Oh, as it turns out, I still don't own Bleach.**

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Standing on the ground in the looming shadow of the Giant, Daichi wore a smile. It had been a while since he used his Shikai. If he was honest, he missed the feeling of it, it wasn't very often that he got use it. There wasn't any reason for him to use it, which he was thankful for. Daichi wasn't much of a combatant, he could fight with the best of them, he just didn't revel in it like most others. With the upcoming war with Aizen, Daichi would likely have to fight some extremely tough opponents. However, his attention was firmly on the matter at hand, rescuing Rangiku and destroying the threat of the Giants.

Kasaihime took the appearance of a regular katana with a blade that was blackened as if it were scorched by a red hot flame. Its once emerald-green hilt was now a darkened green with a round, dull dark pewter guard. It was unassuming and subdued. Taking his stance, Daichi's smile still fixed upon his face. He stood back and waited for the Giant to charge at him.

It didn't take long. In an instant, the Giant ran at him. Its long yellow hair swept back with the wind. The quaking of the floor was violent as Daichi struggled to keep his balance. He leapt up, and dodged the Giant like it was a bull and he was the matador. He landed gracefully on the ground and watched as the Giant slid to a stop, tearing up the ground. As they stood parallel to the large slope, Daichi looked down. It was along way down with jagged rocks and a steep decline. He wondered if the fall could kill the Giant but didn't want to take the risk. Turning his blade horizontal across his body, "Tengokubachi," The hilt began to glow orange before the glow pulsed through the blade and a wave of fire was formed enveloping the blade in a bright orange flame. Daichi swung the blade at the incoming Giant and let the burning circle fly through the air and attack the Giant.

The fire clung to the Giant as it recoiled from the flames. It writhed around for a moment before dropping to floor and rolling in the dirt. As it rolled Daichi put his Zanpakuto in a reverse grip and leaped to the air and brought the red-hot Zanpakuto down on the Giant. It was face down in the dirt trying to push itself up. Daichi came crashing down on top of it. He landed on the back of its neck. The blade penetrated the flesh all the way to the hilt, it was as if the Giant's neck had swallowed the blade. Daichi felt the Giant stiffen underneath him. It wasn't like killing a Hollow, it didn't disintegrate and disappear. It just stayed. Daichi's blade stuck in the back of its neck. "I suppose I should be thankful that worked. To be honest, I figured I'd have to take your head off." He said as he pulled the blade out with a struggle.

Daichi wiped off the Giant's blood from his blade and put it back into its sheath. He looked around for anyone else that could ambush him before turning back to the house. _This is it. Come on, Rangiku. Please be alive. _The blue walls were uninviting as he approached. He could feel that something was off with the building. Stepping over the board that was pushed out of the door, Daichi entered the house.

It was old and musty. Nothing like the pristine laboratory that Rangiku and he had found. The only light came from the doorway with the removed board. There was turned over tables and smashed glass all over the floor. Inching around the room, Daichi avoided the glass and smashed objects and crossed the room. "I wonder if this really the place. It doesn't seem to be anything like what I saw back at the farm. It's just a run down shack." He said as he exited the room.

He continued through the shack. The long corridor had several doors hanging on by their hinges. Nothing about this place felt right to Daichi. It all seemed too derelict to be suitable for what he had seen._  
_

The short man that he had found had turned into a Giant in front of him. If he hadn't had seen it, Daichi wouldn't believe it. It was an unbelievable. If he was honest a little frightening. The sheer force of power that the he felt come off the Giant as it roared or moved, was immense. He was sure that the Giants he had face up until now weren't even the strongest or even the biggest.

Daichi peeked in each of the rooms of the corridor. They were more or less identical, trashed, broken and dusty. It matched the rest of the ground floor. Reaching the end of the corridor, Daichi saw a red door. It was oddly clean, there was a shine to it unlike the rest of the shack. he pushed the door open. It was creaky but opened easily. It lead to a small box room with an upstairs and down stairs. He was unsure of which way to go. If he was honest, the further he went into the shack, the less it felt like the right place. _I wonder why that guy was out here. __  
_

He decided to go down. "Start from the bottom and work my way up." He muttered to himself as he took the first step down. They were small steps with a steep incline. They creaked with every step he took. He remained calm as he came to the bottom. There were wooden beams running across the ceiling and a few torches lining the walls. There were two rows of shelves with vials of various coloured liquids from red to violet and all the colours in between on .one side and on the other, there were neatly stacked crates. The smell was similar to the laboratory but something was different, it smelled sweeter less sterile. Maybe it was a smell that is from when the shack was actually lived in or maybe it was something else, Daichi didn't know.

A light breeze lazily blew through the basement. It sent chills down his spine. He continued into the basement, Daichi headed to the shelves. Carefully, he picked a vial up. It was a deep, crystal clear, blue liquid. Daichi sloshed it around, when nothing happened, he put it back. He eyed the rest of the suspect liquid vials when a voice from behind him, "Careful with those, they're hazardous to your health."


	23. Chapter 23

**Don't own Bleach.**

He smiled before turning around. Daichi was greeted by a large, dark-skinned, bear of a man. He had thick, tree trunk arms and legs. He wore a pair of dark green pants and nothing else. He was an imposing figure to say the least. It was almost as if he was one of those Giants, he truly was an impressive physical specimen. The smile on Daichi's face was confident, a slight lift of his lips, "Hey there, I was wondering if you could help me. I'm looking for my friend, she I'm sure she's around here somewhere. Always playing games that one."

The man didn't look impressed or amused. His face remained stoic, "It seems to me, that _you're _the one playing games." his voiced echoed rung out through the basement, "I wonder where she is now. Maybe she's going through the tests or maybe, she's already done. Who knows with these science types."

Daichi's smile faltered, _What is he talking about? Done with what? _The questions were unwelcome and a distraction he didn't need. He shook his head lightly, trying to clear his mind. His eyes examined the man for any signs that he was carrying a weapon. He didn't see any. _He's probably one of them_ Daichi had to be careful, if the man did the same trick that the one outside did, then things could get complicated. He needed to get out of there quickly leaving the enemy behind. However, his Zanpakuto would do more harm than good at this point. "I get t, I do. We have this one guy, believe me, the things that he does should be illegal." Daichi rubbed the back of his neck, "But it happens that the Old Man likes to keep him around for his 'out of the box' thinking."

Chuckling the man's shoulders shook a little, "Same here. The things I've seen them do..." He shudders before sobering. His intense gaze levelled at Daichi, "However, they pay me to people away from them. I'll be honest, if you just leave, I can forget I saw you and I can go and drink myself until I can't see straight."

A smile grew on Daichi's face. He shook his head, "That does sound good. A nice bottle of Sake would really hit the spot." He started to raise his hand with his index finger pointing toward the man, "You seem like a cool guy and I would _really _appreciate it if you could just go and drink somewhere else while I find my friend." he said lowering his arm, still hoping he can talk the man into letting him go.

With a stoic face, the man grunted as he tightly clenched his fists and his toes several times before relaxing them as if he was preparing for a real fight, "Like I said, that isn't going to happen. Look, odds are your friend is already dead and there's nothing you can do about that. It sucks but it's the likely outcome. Why die for someone who is already dead?"

_I don't believe it, she won't die. Not like that. _There was something about the way the man said she was dead, and the way he spoke about the scientists and the things that he had seen them do. _What have they done to Rangiku _he wondered. Images of Rangiku in pain and bleeding, violated and tortured, experimented upon and executed. It made him feel sick. Daichi, raised his arm again, pointing at the man," Hado #4 Byakurai." A white lightning bold exploded from his finger and struck the man through the abdomen and through the wall behind him.

The man laughed, "Careful there Shinigami, wouldn't want to destroy this place. Who knows who could get hurt if you do." Before Daichi could react, the man charged at him with something similar to Shunpo._  
_

_What was that? Whatever it was, it was fast. _He couldn't block it in time. The man struck Daichi, a one-two punch. It was lightning quick. All Daichi could see was a blur. He had to retreat, get his breath back. Backing away, Daichi eyed the man warily. He was sure that the man could turn in to a Giant like the man outside. Wiping away the blood that tricked from his mouth, Daichi smiled. The blood in his mouth colouring his teeth, "You're quick. What kind of technique is that? It's almost like Shunpo."

A smirk adorned his face, "My name is Genji. I wish I could tell you what it's called but I have no idea." He charged again and Daichi managed to black his attack with his Zanpakuto.

_What? It didn't cut him? _His eyes widen as they locked in a battle of strength. Genji pushed Daichi away and held his hands with his palms down. He waved them through the air. A dark red cloud appeared beneath his hands. Out of the cloud, Genji pulled a great sword. Its blade was nearly as big as Genji himself, with the hilt it was taller than the large man.

Daichi watched as the sword was lifted from the cloud . The blade just kept coming. _The Giants I've seen so far haven't had swords, is he not a Giant? _This was dangerous, he had no idea what the guy was capable of. Should he be able to turn into a Giant and swing that sword at him... Daichi didn't want to think about that.

Genji swung the large sword over his head toward Daichi. The Shinigami got his blade in the way. Using one hand on the hilt and the other supporting the blade. "I guess I should introduce myself, I'm Daichi Senshi, Lieutenant of Squad 13 of the Gotei 13." He ground out. Daichi tried to push the man away with no success. He continued to press. Daichi managed to parry him away but had a feeling that Genji had let him. Panting, Daichi looked around him, anything to use against him to gain an advantage. Seeing nothing, he moved on to finding an escape route. It was all wall, there wasn't a window he could climb out of. Daichi sat back and waited for Genji to come to him.

As if Genji could read Daichi's mind, he lowered his blade and smiled lazily. "I hate to tell you this, but you aren't getting out of here now. I gave you a chance but you didn't take it."

Daichi smirked at the man, it was a confident smirk, "I'm sure you've heard the saying 'size doesn't matter'?" The joke got a small smirk from Genji, "Look, I'm sure you have better places to be. Just let me get my friend and we'll leave you and your mad scientists to what they're doing."

"No deal." Genji started, "These guys, are only the beginning. To be honest if they found out I even gave you the choice to leave... Well, let's just say, there won't be much left of me after they're through and what's left will be used as sign for all the other underlings who joined up saying 'Don't screw with us'. I'm sorry it had to be this way." Genji drew his great sword again and charge low at Daichi.

It only took Genji a few strides to be right on top of Daichi again. His swings were slow but powerful, sparks flew as their blades met. Daichi was worried that the sparks would cause the place to ignite. They battled for the upper hand, Genji's immense physical strength and height gave him the advantage as he managed to get the leverage he need to push Daichi down to one knew. _Come on, Daichi. You're better than this. How many times have I told you, you're not out of the fight until you die. _Kaien's voice in his head, mocking him. It was how he was as a superior to him. He mocked until he got a reaction and Daichi's reaction was always the same. To come back fighting. Daichi had to stop this.

Daichi pushed Genji away again. He drew a triangle in the air with his free hand, "Bakudo #30." Three beams of golden light formed a triangle. Daichi pushed the triangle and it slammed into Genji forcing him back into the wall. Daichi lifted his hand and pointed his index finger at him, "Bakudo #61 Rikujokoro." The six bright yellow rods shot into Genji's stomach pinning him in place, "I'm just gonna go." Daichi watched as Genji struggled, "I wouldn't struggle, I don't like to boast but, my kido is one of the strongest among the Lieutenants of the Gotei 13. I better get going, I'll be seeing you." Daichi walked up the stairs with his hand raised in a waving gesture.

_I hope Rangiku is around here somewhere._


	24. Chapter 24

**Don't own Bleach. Reviews are always welcome. **

"If I was holding someone prisoner, where would I keep them?" Daichi asked aloud. After finishing up with the basement and his battle with Genji, Daichi headed up to the first floor. It had a similar layout to the ground floor, corridors with rooms branching off of them. It was quiet which put Daichi on alert. if Rangiku were here, he'd expect her to be putting up a fight. _Maybe the fight's been kicked out of her. Maybe there's nothing left. _The words from Genji began to make his head spin, '_your friend is already dead'. _Even if she was, it was his duty to get her back, Daichi could just leave her behind as if she was a discarded piece of trash.

The first room he came to. the door was slightly ajar. He peaked inside and saw a table with a teapot with several teacups around it on a tray. He pushed the door open and checked the room for anyone not wanting to be caught off guard again. After clearing the room, he went back to the teapot and found it stone cold. After searching the room further he found several empty bottles of Sake, _must be Genji's. _Satisfied that the room held nothing significant, Daichi exited. _This is getting tedious._

He went to the room opposite the one he had just left. His fingers gripped the door as he tried to pull it open. It wouldn't budge. _Locked? I wonder what's behind door number one._ He took a step back and unleashed a powerful straight kick. The door flew back and crashed into the far wall of the room. It was a mess, the force of the kick and the door made the room look like a tornado had hit it. There were papers all over the floor, wood shards scattered across the room. He had one hand on his Zanpakuto as he entered the room.

Finding the room was empty, Daichi huffed out a sigh, "Damn it. Where are you, Rangiku?" he asked the empty room. Casting his eyes around the room, looking for something, anything that could give him answers to the whereabouts of Rangiku or what experiments these people have carried out. He bent over to pick up a handful of the papers that were tossed around the floor. There were numbers and diagrams, it didn't make any sense to him. He put them back down and headed back tot eh door. At this point, the Giants were a secondary objective for him. His main priority was getting Rangiku back, if he found the answers to the Giants existence then he'd be grateful but he wouldn't go out of his way to get them. Not now. "On to the next one." He muttered as he turned and left the room.

Daichi went to the next room. He was growing wary of all this, he just wanted to find Rangiku and get her back home. He pulled the door open. It was a creaky door, he wondered why the other door was locked when there was nothing in it. He entered the room and there were books placed on a table with papers scattered across it. He looked over the papers and he saw a picture. It was of a Giant's physiological make-up. There were arrows pointed to key points on the Giant, the eyes, neck, chest, head and all the main veins and arteries in the body They all said 'solved' apart from the neck. He wondered what that meant and thought back to his battles with the Giants and remembered that the only thing that had killed a Giant was the stab to the back of the neck. _Does that mean they are working on taking away all their weaknesses? _The thought alone scared him, before he began to wonder how they had cured the other weaknesses they had solved._  
_

Moving on to the last room before the stairs, Daichi paused outside the door. It was troubling Daichi that he hadn't run into more resistance that Genji and that man outside. _Are they just here to buy the others time to make their escape or are they guarding the place while the others are away? _It could be either one and it left Daichi with a problem, if he took the time and searched every room, every crevice of this place and find Rangiku isn't there, she could be taken else where and he would have to start his search all over again. He pushed the door open and held his breath, hoping that Rangiku was behind the door. No such luck, it was completely empty there was nothing in the room at all. He backed out of the room and sighed. "Up we go."

He headed to the stairs, the smashed open door was ominous but he ignored it and climbed the steep stairs. It was the second floor, the top floor. It was the last chance to find Rangiku. The floor was much the same as the one below except it had more rooms. There were six. Coming up to the first door, Daichi let out a breath hoping that Rangiku was behind the door. Placing his hand on the door as if he was trying to sense what was behind the door. He opened the door. It was unlocked but it was stiff. He had to put some extra force into opening the door. There was a wall filled with screens with pictures of the surrounding area of the woods and the interior of the shack. There was a man asleep in front of the screens. He had a shiny bald head and was beanpole thin. Daichi cautiously approached him, a hand on his Zanpakuto. With his free hand, Daichi tapped him on the shoulder.

The man jumped up in a fright. He fumbled around trying to grab for something but fell forward. On his knees, he looked up at Daichi with wide brown eyes, "Oh no, don't kill me!" He cried, tears streaming down his face, "Please, I don't know anything, let me go."

Daichi simply smiled down at the man. It wasn't a sadistic smile, it was more a smile of condescension, "Easy there, Chrome Dome, I'm just looking for my friend." He gestured to the screens of all the rooms in the shack, "I'm sure you've seen here. Tell me where she is and you can go."

Chrome Dome looked at Daichi sceptically, "Yo... You'll let me go? Just like that?"

Nodding his head, Daichi kept his smile, "Just like that. Now, where is Rangiku?"

Taking a deep, calming breath, Chrome Dome regained his composure, "She was being kept next door, but the two freaks moved her. I don't know where."

_Next door? Damn it! _He let go of his Zanpakuto, feeling he could lower his guard for a moment, "How long ago and did you see where they headed?" He asked quickly, "Look, I'm normally a patient man, but right now, my time is very precious. You have my word that you can leave once you answer my questions."

The bald man nodded and stumbled back to the chair and faced the screens. He pulled up a previous video feed. It showed the two green haired scientists carrying, or dragging, a lifeless Rangiku away from the shack. "Th... They're heading back east toward the other lab."

"Impossible, we destroyed that lab." Daichi retorted.

Shrugging, Chrome Dome frowned, "I don't know what you're talking about but those two said they have a lot of people working for them. I'm sure that the lab you destroyed is probably back to being fully operational."

Sighing in defeat, Daichi headed back to the door, "I'm a man of my word, I've got to get going." Daichi left the room, a dark cloud looming over him. A block of ice making itself at home in the pit of his stomach. _Hold on, Rangiku. I'm coming._


	25. Chapter 25

**Don't own Bleach. Those of you still with me, I want to tell you that this story will be wrapping up soon. After seeing how this story has done in terms of reviews and views, I don't think I'll do a sequel. If I do, it'll be a quick five or six chapter to tie it all up. I think I'll move back to the Utsumi Kaito story. I hope you enjoy the rest of this story in the mean time.**

* * *

_How did I get here? _She thought as she opened her eyes and looked around. It was all familiar. The white walls, the high ceiling, the smell. _This place was destroyed. How am I here? _Rangiku's eyes went left and right for any sign of her captors. Her eyes caught sight of more screens with lines of writing she could barely make out scrolling up. She couldn't feel the pressure around her wrists that had been a constant feeling for the time she had been captured. _Not like it makes a difference anyway._

She stood up on and stretched out. It felt so good to loosen the muscles that have been too tense for Rangiku's liking. Now dressed in a plain, dark grey gown, Rangiku shuddered as she looked down at her garment. _Ugh, who would wear something like this voluntarily?_ She rolled her shoulders and tilted her head from side to side, her neck cracking. The sound echoing throughout the empty lab. "I wonder if they are around here somewhere." Putting one foot in front of the other, Rangiku began to explore the room.

Her first stop was to the screens. It was pretty much all scientific and all over Rangiku's head. Unable to understand most of it, Rangiku kept reading. Most of it went over her head until she came across, a phrase that she didn't want to see, 'Sekkiseki destruction' _if they were studying that then they must plan to invade the Seireitei. _The idea of anyone being able to break through the outer wall protecting the Seireitei would make her laugh and joke with the other women of the Seireitei. This time, after seeing the size of the Giants and the idea of bigger ones being possible, she felt her blood turn to ice.

_Daichi better have warned the Head Captain that this threat is huge. _She thought back to the man in the orange kimono. His cocky smile and bright amber eyes that seemed to light up when he made a wise crack. Rangiku found it cute how innocent he looked when that happened. She began to wonder how he was doing. _Was he captured as well? Am I sure he actually got away? What if they are just playing us? Keeping us separate, playing mind games._ It wasn't the time for thoughts like that. She was in trouble and needed to find a way to get word to the Seireitei if Daichi couldn't.

Rangiku tore herself away from the screens. The fire inside her began to burn brighter. Her brow furrowed and her eyes searched the immediate area. There was no ladder, not even a stair was a flat, white walls and ceilings. No way out. She sighed, "Come on, this isn't a prison it's a lab. There's gotta be a way out somewhere." She took her first steps in her quest to find her way to freedom.

It looked entirely different from last time. There were little corridors shooting off to areas which she didn't want to go down. An uneasy feeling overcame her when she stared down the corridor. Rangiku turned away and kept going. Sure that an exit would be in the main area if anywhere, Rangiku kept looking around for signs, craning her neck just in case she missed something. The walls were all white, too white for Rangiku, she like a bit of color. Plain was boring and uninformative. There was no way for her to tell which way she was going or how close to an exit she was._  
_

More screens with similar scrolling text and boards with diagrams and charts adorned the walls as she walked down the main hall. There wasn't much else to look at, other than the flash of the screens and the occasional board, the walls were all plain. She picked up the pace. Her feet softly padding against the cold tiles of the floor. _Maybe there isn't an exit and this is one sick game. Just a maze with no exit. _Rangiku turned a corner and another. It was all the same, nothing looked any different.

It felt like hours she had walked around the lab aimlessly. She found a door. It was a large, round door. The shine of the light on the silver was reflecting off and catching Rangiku in the eyes. She reached up with her arm to try and keep the light out of her eyes. There was a dark red wheel in the centre of the door. It was a vault like heavy door. Approaching it with caution, she gripped the red handle and tried turning it. The handle was cold and stiff, it wouldn't move. "Damn it, move stupid handle." Rangiku cursed.

She backed away from the door, and thought about what she could do to get through it. It was the only promising she has found up until now that could possible lead to an exit. As she thought about it, she remembered the other lab was underneath the barn. Maybe this led to a stair case, or a ladder or an elevator. _You're getting ahead of yourself, Rangiku. You need to get through the door first. _She was still weak from the torture, Rangiku tried to get leverage by standing close and pushing on it with her added weight. She swapped sides and tried to pull it round. Nothing seemed to make it budge. Rangiku took a few steps back, "Hado #31 Shakkaho." A small ball of fire, looped up and fizzled out as it reached the door. _Damn it, this isn't good._

Rangiku exploded. Punching and kicking the door, willing it to open. _Open, damn it! Open! _Completely spent, Rangiku collapsed by against the door. She wrapped her arms around her knees. Tears of frustration escaped, it wasn't often for Rangiku to find herself in a position like this, a position she couldn't get out of by herself. Now, she found herself trapped in an underground lab just waiting to be the subject of the scientist's attention.

The feeling of helplessness was something she hated. It happened a lot growing up when Gin would wander off without telling her and she would be alone. Now the feeling is almost the same, except it wasn't Gin that had left her alone, it was Daichi. It never occurred to her that when he was told to leave, that this would happen and she couldn't blame him for following orders. But she wanted someone to blame. As the torrent of tears subsided, Rangiku stood up and tried to open the door again. She refused to be beaten by a door. Rangiku defiantly stood and gripped the door. Her knuckles were white and the muscles in her arms were tensed. The handle moved slightly. _Come on._ Putting all her strength into it, Rangiku managed to get the handle moving smoothly with a squeak. _Nearly out now.__  
_


	26. Chapter 26

**Don't own Bleach.**

The door opened with a hiss as Rangiku pushed the heavy door open. Her will to survive pushing her forward. It was a small room, almost cupboard like with a round staircase. They were steep and high. Rangiku tilted her head all the way back to see straight up. She saw the light come down in bars. She sighed, relief washing over her. Rangiku closed her eyes and let the bars of light warm her skin for a moment before she began the massive climb ahead of her.

Half way up the stairs, Rangiku's legs began to ache. Normally she'd be able to get up these stairs almost instantly, but her Reiatsu was still recovering. _Damn it, why did this have to happen? What did I do to deserve this? _Taking one step at a t time, Rangiku's pace fell. Her exhaustion beginning to take over. _No, I have to keep going. There's no way in hell I'm going back there._ The stairs were never-ending, they seemed to keep going up in to the clouds. By the time she could see the hatch leading out, Rangiku was red faced and panting.

Lifting the hatch up, Rangiku climbed out of the laboratory. The barn was much the same except it was completely destroyed, the roof was gone and the walls were falling down. The sun was beating down and she loved it. After taking a moment to catch her breath, Rangiku enjoyed the feel of the fresh air filling her lungs. Exhaling the rejuvenating air, she began to feel better. The reishi in the air cleared her mind.

Rangiku exited the remains of the barn. The greens of the leaves of the trees and the grass seemed brighter to her now. Rangiku looked around for anyone who would try to stop her. Seeing no one around, Rangiku set off back to the Seireitei. It was the first time she saw some hope in her situation. Maybe now, she can get back to the Seireitei and make sure they are ready for the incoming threat. The thought of those she fought beside, drank with, even loved, being subjected to the destruction that she knew these Giants could cause, spurred her on.

"Where do you think you're going?" A voice boomed around her. Rangiku stopped and took a look over her shoulder. She found Ayumu standing behind her. He was still a distance away but without Shunpo, "Who gave you permission to leave?"

_Damn it, all I needed was to get to the forest._ She cursed herself as she slowly turned to face him. "I'm just going home. I figured you've had your fun with me. Besides, a girl needs a shower and I doubt you have any of my products here."

Ayumu disappeared. Rangiku looked around for any sign of the green haired man. He reappeared right in front of her in an instant, a hand tightening round her throat, "My sister has kept me in check so far." He drawled, "Maybe it's time for me to cut loose. After all, our plan is finally coming to fruition. It's time to have some fun."

Rangiku squirmed under Ayumu intense glare. She struggled to swallow as the pressure on her throat intensified, "Why...are you...doin'... this?" Rangiku managed to choke out.

A smirk appeared on Ayumu's face, "I don't know. It could be any number of reasons." He began, letting go of Rangiku "The Seireitei, because we don't like the way they run things, because the Rukongai continues to suffer while they sit behind their walls and focus on the threats that effect them. Their have been souls going missing for years, centuries even. As old as Yamamoto is, I can't believe he's so blind that he hasn't seen what's going on with them."

"So what's your plan exactly?" She asked, "Destroy all the Shinigami and leave the world defenceless?"

The man shook his head vigorously, "You misunderstand. It's not about destroying the Shinigami. I might have use for them after this is all done, the survivors anyway. We plan on replacing them. Replacing them with an adequate line of defence. An army that could defend the worlds against Hollows, Quincies and any other threat that decides to attack the Soul Society."

She could appreciate the thought, a strong army to protect those in the Rukongai and the World of the Living but she couldn't agree with the savages that have attacked places across the Soul Society, "You said you can't control them. How do expect to be able to lead them into any kind of battle?"

He shrugged, "People's children sometimes do things against their parents wishes." He lamented, "I guess you'll have to find that out when the time comes." Ayumu smiled at Rangiku, "Who knows, you might even enjoy it."

"This is a mistake. The Shinigami keep the balance. With out them, everything will fall apart. I can't believe you could be so careless." _Keep him talking, I can feel someone approaching. I can't make out who it is though._

Shrugging again, Ayumu seemed nonchalant about the idea. He took a threatening step toward Rangiku. She retreated a few steps, "Come on now, you can't be that afraid of me can you? We've had fun, you and me. I don't know why I'm even stopping you from going, we're finished with you." He began to turn his back until Rangiku reacted.

_What does that mean, 'done with me'? _Rangiku furrowed a brow, "What's that supposed to mean? You've used me up and now I'm free to go?"

Frustratingly for Rangiku, Ayumu shrugged again, "Take from it what you will." He pulled out a sack from behind his back and hurled at it Rangiku's things, "Here are your things. Now get out of my sight."

_It's a trap, why is he giving my things back._ Rangiku sceptically eyed the bag for a moment before nudging it with her toe. She bent down to pick to up, it was her Zanpakuto and Shihakusho. _Thank god, I thought I'd lost you._ Before she could do anything else, felt a prick on the back her neck. She could react before the lightning struck around her. The ground around her exploded in a dust cloud. The fire inside her spread all over her body. Everything seemed to slow down as the burning sensation continued to spread before everything turned black.

Ayumu watched on, unflinching at the sound of primal roar that erupted. He smirked as he saw through the smoke. The long flowing golden hair seemed to shine like the sun and the milky flesh had turned a dark pink. _It worked. Game over, Seireitei._ The thought of his plan being one step closer to success brought a tear to his eye. It was a beautiful thing to see, something you've worked on for most of your life finally becoming a reality. A reality that you created and will rule. He turned a way and went back to the barn, the roaring never stopped and Ayumu never blinked as he lifted the hatch and climbed down the ladder. With one last look at what he created, Ayumu smiled, _soon _he thought before closing the hatch and going back down to his laboratory.


	27. Chapter 27

**Don't own Bleach**

He heard the roar. It was blood curdling, it made Daichi shudder. It was a sound that cut through him like a blade, turning him to ice. There was something primal about the sound of it, as if it were feral. Daichi took a deep breath, _I guess they're moving _he mused before flashing off into the direction of the scream.

He saw the cloud of dust and dirt and a feeling of dread overcame him. _Oh god, not another one. Another soul taken for a lab rat. Kurosutchi would be proud of them._ His shunpo was fast and covered a lot of ground, Daichi landed on the grass near the barn and watched as the dust settled around, what he knew was, a transformed Giant. His eyes widen in horror as he took in the appearance of the Giant and struggled to stay standing after recognizing her.

The golden locks fell freely past its shoulders, the chest was still as ample as ever and her eyes were a cold, ice blue. There was no mistaking it, the Giant was Rangiku. Daichi felt like he had the wind knocked out him, there was something inside that told him to leave, it hasn't seen him yet. Go back to the Seireitei regroup and inform them that Rangiku was simply killed on the mission. _No, that's not an option. She's still in there somewhere and I'll find her for her sake. _Daichi kept his Zanpakuto sheathed when he approached her. Cautiously, Daichi crept toward the Giant Rangiku. She was crouched down, panting like an animal. "Rangiku?" He asked quietly, the tone of his voice was soft so not to startle her.

Rangiku looked up sharply at Daichi. He could see something in her eyes. They were vacant. The usual teasing sparkle they always seemed to hold, the bright blue that seemed to radiate warmth from their depths was ice-cold. He took one more step toward Rangiku before she roared. The guttural sound made Daichi take several steps back. He was scared, it didn't happen often and never in battle. The last time he was honestly scared was when Rukia was being marched toward Sokyoku Hill for her execution. It was fear for her life and fear of failing Kaien. Those two things almost crippled him. It wasn't until after the Ryoka had saved her that he allowed himself to breathe again.

Daichi saw Rangiku stand to her full height. She was easily taller than Jidanbou several times over, she eclipsed the outer wall of the Seireitei. Daichi went up to meet her eyes. He stood level with her eyes, they were big and blue. He wondered whether she even saw him at all with the way she seemed to stare right through him. He dared to get closer, Daichi was at the tip of her nose and stared directly into her eyes, "Rangiku, I know you're in there." He began, "You need to get out of there. I need your help, you're the only one to have seen what's been going on. I doubt anyone would believe me if I went in there and said ordinary people are turning into Giants." He tried his hardest to keep his voice steady when fear was beginning to overwhelm him. Not only fear for himself but fear for Rangiku as well, "They'll probably have me locked away for a while."

All he received in response was another blood curdling roar. He had to laugh a little as he wiped saliva from his face, "I get it, I deserved that." He joked, "You know, if you back to the Seireitei like that they're going to want to experiment on you." Another roar in his face, "I know, I don't like it either but you know how Kurosutchi is. Don't you worry you're pretty little head Princess, I won't let that happen. Not that you need me to protect you, I'm sure you can protect yourself. The point is, I'll be there to help you once we get back."

The Giant's eyes seemed to change. The vacant pools of murky water seemed to clear and turn into the familiar ice blue he had grown fond of. It fell to its knees and let its head hit the ground. Daichi just watched on as it reached behind its neck and scratched and clawed. Blood ran down the huge fingers as it burrowed deeper into its own neck. Daichi dropped down next to Giant, curious about what it's doing. Then, he saw what it was doing. He saw it pull the opening it made wider and caught a slight glimpse of a pod and a mop of bloody golden hair. He would recognize that hair anywhere. He leapt on the Giant's back and worked his way through its hands and pulled Rangiku out of the pod.

She was slippery but he managed to get his arms around her midsection, below her breasts. He wrenched up. She began to move out of the pod. He wrenched again. They flew backwards off of the remains of the Giant.

Daichi was flat on his back in the grass with a bloody, unconscious Rangiku on top of him. He rolled her of him and to the ground. Daichi lifted her head with his hands on both of her cheeks. _They are really soft._ Her eyes opened and closed again. Daichi brushed her hair out of her face, "Come on Rangiku, wake up. You have to wake up." he pleaded. Daichi couldn't see another friend dying on him, _first Kaien and now Rangiku, not happening. _He pulled her to his chest, near his heart, "Come on Rangiku, you have to wake up. Please wake up. I need you to wake up." He lifted her from his chest and again wiped her matted hair from her face.

Rangiku's eyes fluttered open and closed again, she mumbled, "Mm tired."

He sighed when he heard the words left he lips, Daichi let a laugh bubble out him. Planting a kiss on her forehead without thinking, Daichi responded, "Oh, you're okay." He cried out, "You're okay, Rangiku. A little sweaty and little bloody but you're okay." He said as he wiped his lips with the sleeve of his kimono. Daichi mover so he was sat on his knees with her head in his lap.

She reached up and brushed his cheek, "I'm not okay and you know it." She rasped with a sad, tired smile, "My things are nearby, we should get going. We need to warn the Head Captain that they plan on attack the Seireitei."

Daichi was about to argue but knew it would be pointless, she was right. So he nodded and helped her up before going to get her things. He picked up the sack and handed it to Rangiku and turned around so she could change. After a moment, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around. She had her hair pulled back with part of her sash that tied at the waist of her Shihakusho. He smiled softly at her, "You okay, Rangiku?"

She nodded, "I will be." Rangiku looked uncomfortable for a moment, "I want to say thank you. You didn't know that I'd come out of that thing but you still risked your life to pull me out."

He didn't know what to say so, he'd never been thanked for saving someone's life before so he did what came naturally to him he deflected, "It was nothing. I've always dreamed of saving the Princess from the tower."

Rangiku reached up and kissed him on the cheek, unable to say any more on the subject, "Come on, let's get going." She stumbled forward, still weak.

Grabbing her arm, Daichi pulled her back and put an arm around her waist to support her. "Come on, we'll stop off at the Kurosawa's place before heading back to the Seireitei." Rangiku leaned into him as they made their way back to the Kurosawa's Manor.


	28. Chapter 28

**Don't own Bleach. I've recently been reading Akame ga Kiru and I highly recommend it you should check it out, you won't be disappointed. ****here's a poll on my profile to see what you guys want in the next story I do for the Utsumi Kaito character. If you could read both before voting I'd appreciate it.**

They arrived at the Kurosawa Manor swiftly, shortly after they began, Rangiku had passed out again. Daichi picked her up and Shunpoed back to the Kurosawa Manor. He stood outside of the Manor, _they're going to ask questions about it, I'm going to have to lie to them._ Daichi knocked loudly and waited impatiently tapping his foot. He was on edge, if Rangiku was conscious he would have waited patiently but holding Rangiku's unconscious body his patience began to wear thin.

The large wooden door swung open and it was the one person he didn't want to see, Hikaru Kurosawa. His judgemental blue eyes burn bright with fury. Daichi spoke up before the nobleman could, "I'm really in no mood to deal with your pride today so can we skip the whole, 'I'm beneath you and your family and I should treat you as the superior that you are' bullshit and move on to where you show me where I can get my friend here some help?"

Hikaru begrudgingly nodded his head and grunted as he stepped aside to allow Daichi entrance. He knew his mother would want to help and he couldn't tell his mother no.

Brushing past Hikaru, Daichi could feel his steely gaze burn a hole into the back of his head. Shaking off the uneasy feeling, Daichi marched through the Manor, ignoring the questioning looks from the well dressed guests who were in attendance. He found Suzume sat at the table with her two daughters. They were laughing about something. They were all wearing black and red dresses that hugged their figures.

As Daichi walked up to them, Suzume looked up at him and gasped at the sight. A bloody and unconscious Rangiku. She saw his hands and torso that was visible around Rangiku were also covered in blood. "Daichi, what on earth happened to you two?"

"It's...a long story." He choked out, adrenaline leaving his body and exhaustion taking over.

Suzume entered, what Daichi called, 'mother mode'. Captain Unohana was the same she always made sure everyone was well looked after no matter what their attitude was and she wasn't shy about putting you in your place if you get on her nerves."Of course, Dear." She said softly. Suzume turned to her two daughters, "Kimiko, Miyako, I need you to get the supplies from the basement and meet me in the spare room." She turned back to Daichi, "Follow me, Dear. We'll take care of her."

He followed Suzume silently to the spare room. It was the same small, box like room they had stayed in when they had spent a couple of nights here. It was familiar and strange at the same time. The sheets have changed, the smell had changed but it still felt the same. Daichi carefully put Rangiku down on top of the sheets. He brushed her hair behind her ears and looked down at her. _I can't get over how peaceful she looks. _He thought to when she had turned into a Giant and the danger he has put the Kurosawa's in bringing her here. _I should tell them, give them the choice to turn us away. They should know... No, if they know and turn us away, Rangiku could die._ "Please save her." Daichi said softly without taking his watery, amber eyes off of Rangiku._  
_

Suzume smiled at the young man, "We will, but I feel she would benefit from some of that Shinigami magic after we have her patched up." She said, lightly touching his shoulder.

It didn't take long after that for Miyako and Kimiko to bring the medical supplies up to them. They looked at Daichi with pity as he stood out-of-the-way watching over Rangiku. This protective feeling over Rangiku made him unable to move away. He couldn't leave her to go through this alone. He had already made the mistake of leaving her alone once in this and he won't do it again. He watched as Suzume and her two daughters continued to work patching up the wounds on Rangiku and wondered if they would still do it if they knew what happened to Rangiku and her new power.

It was an excruciating wait for the three Kurosawa's to finish up he just wanted to know Rangiku was okay. He knew she would be, Shinigami are extremely durable and Rangiku is a Lieutenant, but he didn't know what they had done to her or what the effects of becoming a Giant would have. Those questions needed answers but as he looked toward Rangiku as the Kurosawa's finished up, he knew the answers could wait.

The elder Kurosawa sister, Miyako, approached him with a hopeful smile on her face. He didn't notice until she was right in front of him and he startled, "Oh good, you're still with us." She joked, hoping to ease the tension in the room, "Your friend is all patched up, but she'll need a specialized healer. There's only so much we can do. She needs some rest but should wake up by tomorrow." Miyako explained. Without waiting for a response, Miyako left shortly followed by Kimiko.

"Thank you." He said to no body in particular without taking his eyes off of Rangiku's now sleeping form. The rise and fall of her chest the only sign she was alive.

Suzume watched the young man with a knowing padded up to him softly as to not startle him like her daughter did. Ducking her head to catch the man's eye, Lady Kurosawa gave a small smile, "Are you okay, Dear?" she asked concerned.

Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, Daichi tried for a smile which he could tell fell flat and looked more like a grimace, "I'm good." He said flashing her a toothy grin hoping that she'd take the answer. No such luck, Suzume replaced the small smile with a stern, no-nonsense frown. Daichi sighed, "I'll be fine. I should work on healing Rangiku."

She nodded her head in understanding, "Of course, I'll leave you to it. You won't be disturbed, I'll make sure of it." She smiled warmly at Daichi, "Don't blame yourself, it wasn't you that hurt her." With that Suzume left the room without another word.

The room was quiet, all Daichi could hear was the sounds of Rangiku breathing. It wasn't laboured as it was when she came out of the Giant, it was as if she was simply sleeping for the night. Daichi smiled at the woman, _I knew she was strong but I don't think I could have gone through what she has and live._ Daichi shudders as his imagination rushed away from him conjuring up all kinds of images of what she could have gone through. He pulled up a chair that one of the Kimiko had left and Daichi waved his over Rangiku's body. They began to glow green he waved them over her body. Daichi was never more thankful for his time in the Kido Corps than he was at that moment, mastering Kaido was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do in that time and he hadn't really needed it until now.

"You're going to be fine, Princess. I promise." He began, "You may not believe it but I _am _good at this." He gave he nervous chuckle feeling self-conscious talking to someone who's asleep.

He sat and watched over Rangiku as he healed her. He knew there was only so much he could do with this, Daichi wasn't a healer like Unohana or Isane. The least he could do was get her into a state where they could get to the Seireitei safely. For now, that had to wait until Rangiku was fit and strong enough to move. Daichi stopped waving his hands. He saw Rangiku's arm laying still next to her body by the edge of the bed and had the sudden urge to grab it just for something to hold on to. He began to reach over for it but stopped and recoiled when he saw her middle finger twitch.


	29. Chapter 29

**Don't own Bleach. There's a poll on my profile to see what you guys want in the next story I do for the Utsumi Kaito character. If you could read both before voting I'd appreciate it. Anyway back to the here and now, be sure to review and let me know what you think.**

He leaned over expectedly to see if Rangiku was waking up or whether it was just twitch. He hoped it was her waking up but was deflated when her eyes didn't so much as flutter. Daichi sat back down and took Rangiku's hand in his. Daichi took a moment to sit and collect himself, it wasn't often he lost himself like this. He wasn't close to the traitors, Aizen, Gin and Tousen. No one he knew was hurt or killed during the Ryoka invasion. The last time he was like this was when Kaien and Miyako died.

On that day, his heart broke. When his Captain and Rukia returned from their mission carrying their bodies, Daichi felt a pain that he wouldn't wish on anyone. The tears fell freely as he watched as the Captain went off to his home and Rukia took Kaien's body back to the Shiba clan. It was the next day that Daichi stumbled up the Shiba household.

_The rain crashed down around him as he struggled to his feet the bottle of Sake rolling away from him, forgotten. Daichi stumbled as he approached the Shiba household. It was as he remembered it growing up. He probably spent more time here than he did at his own home. The Shiba's were more of a family to him than his own. It was the dead of night, the moon blocked out by thick clouds. If he was sober, he would have waited until morning. But after drinking more than a healthy amount of Sake he did things he wouldn't normally do. Daichi knocked loudly on the door. _

_An angry Kukaku yanked the door open, "Do you have any idea what time it is?" she yelled rubbing her tired, green eyes. They soften in realization at who is at the door, "Oh Daichi, it's just you and you're drunk." She stated, "Get your drunk ass in here." She forcefully yanked Daichi in to her home._

_She had her house assistants bring tea to the table where they sat. The two of them sat in silence, a tense silence until the tea had gone. It was Daichi to break the silence, "Sorry I didn't come by earlier." he slurred apologetically._

_Kukaku's stern face softened slightly at the sight of her brother's best friend that was like a family member to her, "Too busy drinkin' by the looks of it." Her voice was monotone. "You could have invited me, I'm always game for some drinkin if someone else is buyin'."_

_He managed a small smile, "I'll remember that." He muttered, "I just thought... I..." Daichi threw his hands up in the air, "I don't know what I thought. I just needed to get away from there and this is the only place I could go." Tears were falling down his face as he spoke._

_She moved to sit next to the drunken man, "Well kid, you'll always have a place here." That's all that was said as the two of them mourned their mutual loss together._

_The drunken stupor he was in began to fade, maybe it was the mixture of the tea and the sense of grieving around the house. Daichi could see a young Kaien and himself running around the house, much to Kukaku's annoyance. It was memories like that, that he hoped he could keep forever. His best friend and brother was gone. Daichi turned to Kukaku and realized that he may have lost Kaien but she also lost Kaien and he can't put her through any more than he already had, "Kukaku," He whispered, "I'm sorry."_

_Kukaku turned to him stunned, "What are you apologizin' for? I know it ain't your fault." she took pause and saw his usually bright, amber eyes shimmer with tears, "It's gonna be all right."_

_He nodded his head in agreement, although he wasn't sure if she was telling him or herself. It wasn't often that he had seen Kukaku like that. She was always the self-assured, confident on out the Shiba's but now, she seemed to be the little girl that she had buried deep inside, beneath that hardened exterior. Daichi wasn't sure how to talk to her. He wasn't used to seeing Kukaku that way. "I know." _

_The room grew silent after that and Kukaku slung an arm across Daichi's shoulders, "Come on, kid. You better get some sleep. You're probably gonna have a killer hangover tomorrow." She pulled him to his feet and led him to the guest bedroom. It wasn't extravagant, it was a simple bedroom meant for one or two night stays at most. Kukaku deposited Daichi on the bed and headed back to the door._

_"Goodnight, Kukaku." He whispered, "You're the best sister ever."_

It was a knock at the door that brought him back to the present. He quickly dropped Rangiku's hand and craned his neck round to see the door. _Oh great, what does he want?_ Daichi wondered as he saw Akira stood staring in.

"How is she doing?" Akira asked.

_Well, I'm sure she's been tortured, beaten held captive. Oh and she's also harbouring an ability to turn into a Giant at a moments notice, other than that she's fine. _Daichi thought sarcastically but squashed the urge to say it out loud. "She'll be fine. Another round of healing and I'm sure we'll be out of here by tomorrow." Daichi promised.

Akira held up his hand, "Just make sure she's okay. Those... creatures have taken enough, don't let them take her too." The Lord turned on his heel and left, clearly uncomfortable.

Turning back to Rangiku, he saw her rub her tired eyes her slender fingers. She looked around quizzically, "Where... How..." She couldn't finish her sentence.

"You're at the Kurosawa's place. You've been out for few hours, we got you patched up and I've worked some Reiatsu restoration for you." He leant back n the chair, "You should get some rest."

"You need your rest too, Mister." Rangiku tried to scowl but it was more of a squint.

Daichi chuckled, _she's adorable. _He let his eyes shut for a moment, taking in the fact that Rangiku was awake and talking. It was a good feeling to have, feeling that he had saved a friend. He smiled at Rangiku, "I'll be fine." He told her, "I still have to heal you. It may surprise you, but I'm not Captain Unohana." He joked.

Rangiku let her eyes linger on him for a moment, _he looks tired and he's still covered in bloo_d. Rangiku scooted over and patted the now empty space beside her, "Nuh uh, on the bed. You need to sleep. You can play doctor with me in the morning." She teased, hoping that Daichi would stop looking at her as if she could break at any moment.

A grin broke out on Daichi's face, "That's my Princess." He blurted out, "What I mean by that is I call you Princess and you're starting to sound like you're better,"

Her voice was still weak and raspy, "If I'm a Princess, then you better do as I say." Rangiku's eyes were drooping as she spoke, "Thank you." With that, she fell asleep the steady rise and fall of her chest allowed Daichi to get back to work.

Waving his hands over her body again, the green glow returned and Daichi continued to restore Rangiku's Reiatsu the best he could. _We'll get back to the Seireitei tomorrow._


	30. Chapter 30

**Don't own Bleach.**

The morning came quickly for Rangiku as she peeled her eyes open. The sound of the birds chirping outside and the movement round the Manor woke her. She felt amazing. It was unbelievable to her that just the day the before she felt like she got wrecked by the cleaner in the Dangai. _I didn't know he had it in him. _Rangiku looked around the room to find her healer and found him. He was curled in a ball in the chair with a dark blue blanket over him, snoring softly. She found herself staring at him for longer than she would have liked. _He is kinda cute like that._

Listening to him snore softly, Rangiku wondered how much healing her had taken out of him. She wondered about him, what Suzume had let slip before and what it could have meant. How had she known him before, why did they lose contact. It was all swirling around, Rangiku told herself that she'd ask him when he woke up. Right now thought, she enjoyed the last moments of peace she'd have before she'd have to wake him and get back to the Seireitei.

His nose twitched as he slowly rejoined the world. Daichi was still tired after only managing a few hours sleep. He doesn't regret it or begrudge Rangiku, it needed to be done. _I suppose losing sleep for Rangiku is a good reason in itself _he thought to himself as he opened his eyes. He was greeted with the sight of Rangiku sat up in bed watching him with a small smile. "Has anyone ever told you, it's creepy to stare at people when they're sleeping?" He teased, voice thick with sleep. Daichi sat up straight, rolling his shoulders and neck, "Ah, that's the last time I sleep like that." he joked.

Rangiku rolled her eyes at him, "I did offer you the bed but apparently you chose to sleep like that. I don't know whether to be offended or not." she pouted.

Rising from the chair, Daichi stood over Rangiku and smiled a big toothy grin, "Come on, Princess. Don't be like that. It's just I prefer my women to be conscious." He wiggled his eyebrows before sobering, "Besides, after I was done fixing you up. I just kind of passed out."

_I figured as much._ Rangiku huffed out a breath, "I suppose we should talk about..." Rangiku couldn't bring herself to say it. The idea of it was ridiculous, people being turned into Giants but the idea of _her_ being one of those people was something she'd laugh at if it hadn't happened.

Daichi's smile dimmed, "I don't know what to say." he began before he sat on the bed next to her.

She remembered didn't want to talk about it either but knew that it wouldn't go away any time soon. Rangiku thought about what will happen to her once she returned to the Seireitei and if there was anything that could be done about her situation. She wondered if they would experiment on her, poke and prod at her until she died, "What will happen to me?" Her voice was small, almost child like.

He grabbed her hand and locked fingers, hoping to give her some comfort, "I don't know." Daichi answered honestly. He caught her eyes, they looked at him with a small flicker of hope. The last thing he wanted to do was extinguish the last embers of hope she had left, "But whatever happens, I'll have your back. Whatever you need, I'm there."

To Rangiku, it was nice to hear that she had, at least, one person in her corner. It didn't matter that he wasn't her Captain, what mattered to her was that he promised he'd be there and maybe, her Captain would be in her corner once he found out. _Who am I kidding, he's a stickler for protocols and conduct._ It's not like she could blame him for doing his job but what if she turned when they got back to the Seireitei, would he kill her. Daichi had managed to talk her down and saved her from it, "I don't want you to do anything because you feel obligated to." She started. Rangiku squeezed his hand as he started to speak, "_But, _I appreciate it. I don't know what's going to happen and it'll be nice to have someone with me when it happens." She gave a Daichi a small smile.

Daichi nodded and looked at the interlocked fingers and smiled at how they seemed to fit perfectly. He wondered if there was something between them. It felt odd but Daichi could swear he felt something surge through him the moment he kissed her head. There was too much going on at the moment to work out whether there is anything between them, "We should probably get going, I don't how long it will be before the Kurosawa boy comes in and kicks me out himself."

She nodded her head and released his hand. Rangiku steeled herself for their next conversation, "Hey Daichi, how do you know Suzume? She let it slip before I was taken she said that she knew you when you were a child and I wondered how. She didn't tell me."

He stopped in his tracks. _This is where she finds out and treats me differently._ He didn't want to tell her. So he decided to lie. Lies left a bad taste in his turned back to face her. A small smile on his face, "I don't know, she's getting old. She probably mixed me up with someone else."

Rangiku frowned, "If you don't want to tell me, fine. Just don't lie to me."

He sighed, "Okay, just promise you won't tell anyone else." Daichi heard her agree, "I mean it, absolutely nobody can know."

She nodded her head as she tied her Zanpakuto to the familiar place on the small of her back, "I promise. Although this is getting almost scandalous I'm going to be disappointed if it's a depressing story."

_Scandalous is one way to put it._ Daichi thought. He took a moment to organize his thoughts before telling Rangiku his story, "I suppose you'll want all the details?"

A smile lit up her face, "Of course, I want to know everything. I always knew you were interesting, I just didn't know why."

Giving her a smile in response, Daichi began his story, "I was born in a noble family. That's ironic, right? Growing up, I wasn't what my parents wanted me to be. I didn't buy into the whole noble family thing, I saw through the charade. The fake smiles and the politics. Eventually I acted out. Turning up to their parties drunk, insulting important families, fooling around with the daughters of clan leaders. One night, after a party, I decided that I'd had enough and left."

Rangiku smiled sadly at the Daichi, "Were you alone, when you grew up?" She asked.

He smiled, "I had Kaien." Daichi smiled fondly at the memories he had with Kaien as they grew up. Stealing fireworks, talking Ganju into doing so many stupid things, "He was my best friend, more like a brother really."

_He looks so happy talking about Kaien. How long has it been now? I can't even remember him that well._ Rangiku racked her brain for any memory she could think of that involved Kaien but they didn't really have any contact outside of Lieutenant's meetings. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry he died." she began, "I'm glad we talked. Although, you really have to tell me about the clan leaders daughters at some point."

Daichi ignored the beginning and chose to deflect, "I am a gentlemen and I don't kiss and tell." He joked, "We should get going back to the Seireitei before it's too late."

They both silently got up and left the Kurosawa Manor without a goodbye, telling themselves they'd come back and thank them after the Giant threat had been dealt with. Leaving the Manor, the two Shinigami shunpoed together heading toward the Seireitei completely focused on the stopping the Giant's invasion.


	31. Chapter 31

**Don't own Bleach. I can't thank you guys enough for reading my stories. Thanks to those who have reviewed and favorited and followed them. It all means a lot. Anyway, I think this story will be concluded in the next five or six chapters at most. There might be a sequel if you guys want one. Tell me in the reviews what you want to see next. **

They come out of the forest and enter the Rukongai. It was trampled into the dirt. The people of the district were all gone, there were some that had been killed and left in the rubble of their homes others were nowhere to be seen. Daichi and Rangiku looked around the immediate for any survivors or anyone still alive. There were none. The buildings were reduced to nothing but rubble and the people were scattered around some even torn in half with legs and bodies thrown around and mixed up with others. "We need to get moving."

Rangiku nodded and turned away from the corpse her eyes were fixated on. "Let's just hope that the Seireitei walls are holding out."

Nodding his head, Daichi agreed. It would be a disaster should the Giants breach the walls of the Seireitei. He didn't know how many there were, whether the Seireitei had the personnel to handle them all. They needed to get back quickly. "We better hurry." Again, the two shunpoed off as quick as they could.

Passing through some of the other districts of the Rukongai, Daichi and Rangiku looked on in horror as they were all reduced to nothing. The buildings were all gone, people strewn about the streets which were almost completely red with their blood. Daichi had seen nothing like it before. It was a horrific sight to behold it was like a war zone. _But it's not, these were suppose to be safe. Their homes. _He shook the depressive thoughts from his mind. _Now is not the time for that, I need to focus._ He looked at Rangiku who had a thoughtful look on her face as they pass by another destroyed home with the people's limbs poking through the rubble. "You could never do anything like this." He told her, "You're not the type of person to attack a defenceless family."

Without facing him, Rangiku moved ahead of him, "You don't know what I could do if I turn into that... thing again. What if next time someone isn't there to get me out? Would I be able to control it?"

Daichi caught up to Rangiku and cast a sideways glance at her as he matched her shunpo at each turn, "You may not think it, but I know _you._ Your strong, stronger than me. I doubt I could control it like you did." He paused as he thought about what to say next, "You could have killed me before. I stood right in front of you, all you had to do was reach out and grab me. But you didn't. You controlled it because _you _are strong."

Rangiku snorted, "_You _are reckless." She told him as they continued through the Rukongai. They were about a quarter of the way through. The midday heat was scorching as the sun beat down with an intensity that she hadn't felt for a while. "You had no idea what I would do, Daichi. For all you knew, I could have _killed _you."

He knew she could have done. Daichi just couldn't risk hurting Rangiku. He simply shrugged, "I had faith."

She snorted again, "You got lucky, Mister. You had no idea and you got away with it."

Sensing they weren't going to agree on it Daichi smiled at Rangiku and kept the pace. _We can't keep stopping to look for survivors, we have to assume they are all dead._ The grim thought entered his brain and as he looked to Rangiku it appeared they had the same thought as she gave him a subtle nod and a frown, clearly upset about it but unable to do anything about it.

They travelled through the rest of the Rukongai. Daichi cast his eyes around seeing the devastation and destruction that the Giants had caused. There hasn't been an attack on the Soul Society of this size since the war with that annihilated the entire race of Quincy. Now it seems the shoes on the other foot and it's going to be the destruction of the Soul Society, the Seireitei and Shinigami.

Rangiku looked around the destroyed district and wondered if she would have done that or had Daichi been right and that she _couldn't_ do that. If Daichi hadn't been there and she got the Rukongai could she have killed all these people? Destroyed their homes and levelled their village? It darkened her mood. Rangiku couldn't help but allow her mind to wonder what could have been. It could still happen, she could turn at any point for all she knew. Rangiku had no idea what could have happened to her during her black outs during her captivity.

Crossing into the next district, Daichi and Rangiku could see the Seireitei and thankfully, from what they could see, it was still in tact and standing unlike the Rukongai. The slight glimmer of hope they both felt turned to ashes when they saw and explosion come from the Seireitei. Their eyes widen. They could hear the explosion's echo as it just about hits their ears. They share a look. Looking into each others eyes, they could see the realization set in that they were too late.

"Daichi" Rangiku whispered.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently, "Rangiku," he began but was interrupted by Rangiku's lips crashing into his. It was heated and passionate. Daichi took a moment to react but when he did, he lost himself in Rangiku. His hands made their way into her golden locks.

She didn't know why she did it. Rangiku grabbed a fistful for Daichi's Shihakusho, pulling him closer. One hand gripping the Shihakusho as tight as she could and one hand gently resting on his chest. She rested her forehead against his.

It was Daichi who managed to formulate words first, "Wow, that was... wow." He couldn't put those words into coherent sentences. Daichi licked his lips and could taste Rangiku all over them.

There were no words left to say between them for now. The only thing left for them to and that was get to the Seireitei and help protect it from the Giant invasion. Daichi and Rangiku made short work of the distance to the Seireitei wall. They expected to see Jidanbou proudly guarding the gate but, instead found nothing but a large hole in the wall and Jidanbou nowhere to be seen. There was rubble on the inside of the wall as if something punched its way through. "This isn't a good sign, is it?" Daichi asked.

As they stepped through the hole, they heard the alarm ring out through the Seireitei and the Head Captain's booming voice echo throughout, "Get to your battle stations immediately! To your battle stations!"

Daichi turned to Rangiku. It was time to separate and he can't help the surge of worry that overtook him. It was the first time they were going to separate since he had gotten her back. "Be careful."

Rangiku nodded, "You too. Don't do anything reckless again."

A smile was all she got as if to say 'no promises' before shunpoing of toward the Squad 13 district while Rangiku went off to the Squad 10 district to help defend the Seireitei and repel the invasion.


	32. Chapter 32

**Do not own Bleach. The beginning of the war. This is it people, I hope you are enjoying it. Let me know what you think.**

The cry of battle rings out throughout the Seireitei. Daichi could feel the Reiatsu of several released Zanpakuto. _Kazeshini, Hyorinmaru, Wabisuke Katen Kyokotsu_ he recalled from memory until a large Reiatsu erupted off in the distance. _Ryujin Jakka things are worse than I thought._ Daichi could smell the burning from the strongest fire Zanpakuto and the fires that spread through the Seireitei. He picked up the pace to get to his Squad's battle stations, the last thing he wanted was to leave them undermanned.

He arrived as quickly as he could to find, to his surprise, Captain Ukitake and some of the stronger squad members stood prepared for battle. _Thank god._ Daichi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Captain turn to face him. "Captain, where do you want me?" He asked quickly.

The Captain looked around the Squad and nodded to them, "I need you here to lead them." Ukitake told Daichi, "Head Captain Yamamoto has ordered the Captains to rally round him to be the final line of defence should you fail."

Daichi wondered whether the old man had lost it. The squads need their Captains on the front lines, it boosted their morale. "But Captain, what about the Squad? They need you."

The Captain shook his head and smiled slightly at the younger man, "They need a leader no matter what form he or she may take. Today, that is you Daichi. Be the leader I know you can be" Ukitake patted Daichi on the shoulder, "Good luck, Daichi." He said before he Shunpoed off to meet the other Captains.

Before Ukitake could leave, Daichi grabbed his wrist, "What about Rukia?" He asked.

"She's safe at the Kuchiki Manor. Guards are posted all around the perimeter." Ukitake left before he could be delayed any further.

_Great, I may be able to keep them in line when they are doing paperwork or mundane chores but this is something different. How did you make it look so easy, Kaien?_ Taking a deep breath, Daichi walked up to the neatly arranged squad. "This is it, Squad. We must hold this line. The enemy is nothing like you've ever faced." To Daichi, it was as if someone else had taken over his body, "I wish I could tell you it would be easy but it's not. This will push you to the limits but I have faith that you'll succeed." Daichi looked at his Squad, some of them didn't have any real combat experience, hell, some of them he couldn't even remember training at all.

The shake of the ground near them was the signal that battle was upon them or soon will be. Daichi drew his Zanpakuto and turned to face the enemy. He began formulating a strategy. There was no way he could blindly charge in there like most Shinigami from Squad 11 would do. That wasn't his style. He felt the Squad leave to get into positions around the district. _Be safe, all of you _he thought as he saw the bobbing head peak over some buildings in the distance heading to him.

Building after building was trampled. The Giant was smiling at him as it made a bee line to him, ignoring anything along the way. Daichi watched as it's black hair blew back as it began to run. It's dark beady eyes stared directly at him. "This is it then, huh?" Just as he said the words he felt more quakes and heard more buildings being destroyed around him. He looked around and saw that the District was surrounded. The Giants were absent mindedly swatting away their attackers and progressed further into the Seireitei. "Oh." Was all he could say before a large fist collided with his torso and sent him flying off of the barracks roof and into the adjacent building.

* * *

Rangiku arrived to hear the Captain finish rallying his troops. She could feel the icy chill from his Zanpakuto. "Captain!" She called to get his attention. As he turned she saw the cuts on his face, _he's already seen in this?_ The thought worried her because they didn't know anything about the enemy and she knew that knowledge of the enemy will save your life. "Are you all right?" she said grabbing his face to inspect the wounds.

"I'm fine." He brushed her off, "Now that you're here, we should get into position. We've pushed them back for the moment but they'll be back."

_I should tell him about what happened. He should know. I'm a danger to the Squad._ She quashed the thoughts as soon as they entered her mind. Rangiku couldn't afford to get distracted now. She drew her Zanpakuto and prepared to face down the Giants with her Captain and squad. "Come on, Captain. Let's go and face these Giant scum." She said with a smile that was reminiscent of how she was before she was taken. Maybe it was the thought that it was nearly over and she could put it behind her or maybe it was because she was back in the Seireitei. Whatever it was, it was something she didn't want to lose. She looked over in the direction of the 13th district and saw a growing crowd of Giants forming. _Be careful, Daichi._

"Rangiku! There almost here." Her Captain's voice pulled her back to where she was and saw another large group of Giants encroaching on the 10th district. "Are you ready, Rangiku?" Toshiro asked.

The sounds of the battles going on and the fierce Reiatsu building from the released Zanpakuto made Rangiku steel herself. She tightened her group on her Zanpakuto, "Ready." She said before following Captain Hitsugaya into battle.

Rangiku came face to face with a Giant almost immediately. She froze. This was what she had feared would happen. After everything that had happened, she could bring herself to attack. It was as if it was in slow motion when the Giant raised its fist. The fist came toward her. Her eyes widen and she held her breath bracing herself. It wasn't until the Giant's arm turned to ice and Toshiro shattered it with one swing of his Zanpakuto that she let the breath go. "Captain... I" she stuttered.

Toshiro frowned at Rangiku, "What the hell was that? Rangiku is there something I should know?" He asked in the brief respite.

Rangiku pulled up her Zanpakuto as show to say that there wasn't anything wrong, "No, I was just taken by surprise." She shunpoed behind the armless Giant and cut it's neck before it could regenerate. The Giant fell forward crashing through the rubble on the floor. It lay lifeless, unmoving and Rangiku smiles to Toshiro, "See, nothing's wrong." As Toshiro went off to confront another Giant, Rangiku relaxed and her hands began to shake. _Damn it._


	33. Chapter 33

**Don't own Bleach. I probably won't be able to update until next weekend. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. My earlier estimate may have been somewhat underestimated, this could go on for a while yet. Anyway, I'll see you guys next week.**

He couldn't catch his breath, his chest was on fire. The pain shot through him as he moved to sit up. He shook his head clear. "Wow, that hurt." he mumbled. Daichi pulled himself to his feet and got back to his Squad. He saw a few Giants topple over but could sense the loss of more Shinigami. He could accurately say who it as but it felt like a significant number.

Daichi closed in on the Giant that punched. It was still smiling at him, crooked, gap filled teeth mocked him. There were Squad 13 members on the ground unmoving. _I can still sense Reiatsu from them._ Daichi drew back his blade and waited for the Giant to give him an opening. The Giant fumbled forward trying to grab him. Daichi shunpoed out-of-the-way and sliced across its face. _  
_

Blood and saliva dripped from the Giant's face. Its smile now redder than it was before. Daichi took some satisfaction from the fact that he cut it easier, _they don't seem as strong as before? Are these failures? _He wondered. There was nothing predictable about this, anything about the Giants could take Daichi by surprise. He backed away from the Giant again as he prepared to fire a kido, "Hado #54, Haien." He waved his arm across his body and an oblong burst of energy fired at the Giant, striking it in the neck._  
_

It only served to enrage the Smiling Giant. It let out a roar. Daichi backed away some more. The Smiling Giant swung his arms violently in retaliation. Daichi avoided the blow but Kiyone and Sentaro weren't so lucky. They were too distracted contending with the Giant they were facing and didn't get out-of-the-way. Daichi turned to see his two Squad mates soar through the air, "Bakudo #37, Tsuriboshi." A blue ball of energy flew past the falling Shinigami. Six ropes burst from the ball and latch the remains of buildings and created a cushion. Kiyone and Sentaro fall safely into the net. Daichi breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't lose Squad mates like that.

He took a brief look to make sure they were safe before turning his attention back to the Giant. "I need some help over here." Daichi called, hoping that a Squad member could temporarily pick up the slack that Kiyone and Sentaro made. Luckily a plucky girl with bright yellow hair and blue eyes shunpoed over and took over for the two Shinigami. "Thanks." She simply smiled in response and attacked the Giant. "Behind the neck." Daichi called out to her. She gave another smile and disappeared only to reappear behind the Giant and slashed at its neck. It wasn't deep enough and the Giant turned around and began attacking.

Turning his focus back to the Smiling Giant, Daichi saw it had completely healed from his attacks. "There regeneration is amazing." Daichi remarked. Daichi saw more Giants making their way deeper into the Seireitei and toward other Squads. He couldn't allow the others to get over run, "Condemn, Kasaihime." His Zanpakuto darkened as if it was burnt. Daichi could feel the heat surrounding his blade. "Hold the line!" He yelled to his Squad. "Hi no Keimusho." Fire erupted from his Shikai.

* * *

The 10th district was getting over run from the run off from Squad 11. The casualties were going to be heavy, she knew that going in but after sensing the diminishing Reiatsu of Ikakku and Yumichika, Rangiku wondered how many more losses would they take. It was then that she sensed it. The Reiatsu of a released Zanpakuto. She recognized it from the Lab under the barn. _Daichi, please be okay._ Rangiku turned to the direction of the 13th district and saw smoke an orange glow in the distance.

"Rangiku, focus!" Her Captain scolded as he avoided another hit from a Giant.

She shook her head and released her Zanpakuto, "Growl, Haineko." Her Zanpakuto turned to ash and surrounded a Giant's face, "Neku Rinbu." The ash cloud around the Giant's face began to blow about fiercely, blinding the Giant. Carefully avoiding it's flailing arms, Rangiku shunpoed around the back and cut it down. _Another one for me. _It was revenge for her. Killing these Giants was revenge for what happened to her. It maybe wrong to be motivated by vengeance but if it could allow her to bring down the Giants then she would gladly take vengeance as a motivation.

She turned to her Captain who only had one petal left of his Bankai. Rangiku knew her Captain would battle on with only his Shikai but she had a feeling that they would need all the Captains' Bankai before the battle is done. The Giants they fought now, felt different to those they had already face. She didn't know what it was but they felt like they were weaker than the others, still a considerable threat but weaker than the others. Looking around the Seireitei, all she could see was Giants and demolished buildings. They still had a long way to go yet.

That's when she felt the sudden absence of another Reiatsu. The losses were beginning to mount up. _How long do any of us have left? _A loud explosion ripped through the Seireitei as a large golden Reiatsu blew up in the direction of the 11th District. "I guess, Captain Zaraki has had enough games." She commented. Confidence flowing through her again._  
_

"I guess so. Come on, there's still work to be done." Toshiro said gruffly.

Rangiku and Toshiro, after so many years of working together, fell into a rhythm of attack as they fought through the lines of Giants that began to overwhelm the 10th District. The Squad was holding its own, only suffering a few losses. However as the Giants push forward, Rangiku can see things going wrong quickly. It wasn't like her to be so pessimistic but recent events hadn't given her much reason to expect a happy ending out of this. The only bright light she had seen was the kiss she had shared with Daichi before the battle started. It was an impulsive act on her part but she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it. _Maybe after.._._ Nope, get through the battle first then deal with your personal stuff. _Rangiku scolded herself.

She heard a noise that sounded like a window being shattered. _What was that?_ Rangiku turned quickly, fearing she already knew what the answer to her question was. Here ice blue eyes widen as she saw her Captain fall. It was as if he gently floated down before her eyes. His ice wings smashed as he hit the ground and lied the helplessly. _Damn it, this is all my fault.__  
_

Before anyone could process what happened a bolt of lightning struck Rangiku and she fell to the ground the bolt of lightning following her all the way down. It blew up all the rubble around her creating a shield of dust and dirt around her. She roared her loudest causing all the Squad 10 members and the Giants to look toward her.


	34. Chapter 34

**Do not own Bleach. I managed to get one more Chapter out for you guys. I hope you like it.**

He saw the lightning come down and heard the familiar roar. The winter chill he felt shoot down his spine startled him back to the present. Daichi was forced to watch on as Rangiku transformed into a Giant again. The flames from his Zanpakuto are burning too hot. The wall of fire surrounding them was keeping the Giants in the area. It would be reckless to take it down now. Daichi knew that they would swarm to Rangiku. He prayed that he could keep control of the flames.

After recovering, Kiyone approached Daichi, "Lieutenant, Lieutenant!" Kiyone shouted at him. She was desperate to get his attention to update him about the status of the Squad.

Daichi turned to face the woman with a calming smile. "Yes, Kiyone?" He responded keeping an eye on the periphery for in coming Giants. Daichi didn't want to be caught unaware. It was hard enough sensing them as it was let, he couldn't afford to be blind sided.

The woman looked sad, "Sentaro is still recovering along with seven others. The east side is still going strong but we need some help on the west side. That's where most of our casualties were stationed."

_This is bad, I don't think I can spare seven men._ Daichi kept cool and calm on the outside, hoping that he could instil a sense of calm into his Squad, "Okay, take Himura, Oshiro and Tanaka. That should leave enough cover over here and help you." Daichi ordered.

Kiyone nodded her head and gave her Lieutenant a salute and shunpoed back to her post. Another Giant was incoming. "These things are relentless." He said as he looked around to see more Giants wandering around the area. Daichi needed a quicker way to take down the Giants, they put up a fight and it's difficult to get behind them. He shunpoed up to it. This Giant was taller and leaner than the Smiling Giant. It had bright green eyes and dark brown almost black hair. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat!" Daichi drew the symbols in the air in font of the Giant, "Bakudo #9, Geki." The red energy enveloped the Giant. Its body went rigid and it fell forward. Daichi leaped on to its back and drove his blade into the back of its neck all the way to the hilt and dragged it through the side.

He stood victorious on the back of the Giant for a moment before getting back into position. Daichi tried to see what was happening over at the 10th district. There was still a smokescreen blocking his view although he could see everyone had stopped, Giants and Shinigami a like. _I need to get over there before something happens to Rangiku. _Although that idea was looking bleak, Daichi still kept his eyes on in that direction. A moments distraction was all it took.

A huge fist came out of nowhere and sent Daichi flying across the District toward his fire.

The heat from the fire was intense. He could feel the fire kiss his skin. Daichi got back to his feet and heard another roar. This time he knew for sure that it was Rangiku. The Giants were still strong in the 13th district. Before he could go and help Rangiku, he and his Squad needed to take care of the Giants in the area. As he looked around at his Squad he couldn't be more proud, they were holding their own and dealing damage to the Giants, pushing them back. He hoped Kaien could see them now, how far they've come from the time he had trained them. _  
_

Daichi got back into the fight. He shunpoed up behind a Giant, "Tengokubachi." The orange glow took hold of the hilt and surged through his darkened blade. Fire took over the blade and with one swing, Daichi shot the fire toward the Giant's neck. The long stretch of fire wrapped itself round the Giant's neck and began to burn the flesh away. It revealed a small pod. Before Daichi could react the fire spread and the pod was on fire. There were no screams, like he expected, only silence. He wondered what made this Giant different to Rangiku.

* * *

She tried to fight it. The overwhelming power that had suddenly overcome her. Rearing back, Rangiku let out a guttural roar. It drew the attention of everyone and everything around her. Shinigami and Giants turned to stare at her. As she snapped back to the present, Rangiku's familiar ice blue eyes were dull and dark. Her gorgeous face had morphed, her features sharpened. A longer, pointier nose, a wider mouth and a sharp chin and jaw. Her golden locks flowed all the to the small of her back.

Toshiro struggled back to his feet and looked around. The diminutive Captain noticed that everyone had come to a stand still. His teal eyes widen as he sees the Golden headed Giant rise to its feet, towering above the Giants in the area. His immediate thought was, _Rangiku? What the hell happened to you?_ A frown formed on his face as he Shunpoed up to face his Lieutenant.

Staring at it in the eyes, Toshiro couldn't see any of the light in its eyes that he often saw in Rangiku's. "Rangiku, if you're in there, I need you to come out."

Rangiku stared blankly at him. She clenched a fist and swung at him. Toshiro dodged and Rangiku stumbled forward. She turned quickly and grabbed him. Toshiro was struggling in her iron grip. She belted out another blood curdling roar.

He grunted as he tried to wriggle out of the Giants grasp. "Ran...giku." Toshiro tried to get out of the large hand. He grew impatient when he saw the other Giants begin to circle the gathering crowd like the lion stalking the gazelle. "Hado #31 Shakkahou." It exploded around him and he fell out of Rangiku's hand when she recoiled.

Before anyone could do anything to her, Rangiku fell to her knees. A voice echoed in her head, _You're stronger than this. You can control it because you're strong. You are strong._ Daichi's voice was ringing in her ears. She pictured him in her mind, the lazy grin and the bright amber eyes. The bright orange kimono and his unruly brown hair. Most of all, she pictured his face when he said those words to her. The sincerity in his eyes and voice.

A thunderous explosion erupted in the 13th District. Rangiku startled and stood, the Shinigami surround her startled back. She squinted at the source of the explosion. Rangiku took of in a sprint, the ground shook with the force of her feet hitting the ground. Rangiku took off the head of a Giant as it lunged at her. She didn't have time to get in fights like that, Rangiku had to get to the 13th District.


End file.
